Accreditations
Tuition fee EU nationals (2026/2027)
The PhD Programme in Political Science has a four-year duration, corresponding to the completion of 240 ECTS credits, which are divided among 60 credits in lecture units in the first year and 180 credits for the doctoral thesis in the second, third and fourth years of the course.
Programme Structure for 2026/2027
| Curricular Courses | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Year | ||
|
Political Science and International Relations Seminar
12.0 ECTS
|
Parte Escolar > Mandatory Courses | 12.0 |
|
Political Systems, Europeanization and International Relations
12.0 ECTS
|
Parte Escolar > Mandatory Courses | 12.0 |
|
Research Project Seminar in Political Science and International Relations
18.0 ECTS
|
Parte Escolar > Mandatory Courses | 18.0 |
|
Contemporary Debates and Controversies in Political Science
12.0 ECTS
|
Parte Escolar > Mandatory Courses | 12.0 |
|
2nd Cycle Internship
6.0 ECTS
|
Parte Escolar > Optional Courses | 6.0 |
| 2nd Year | ||
|
Phd Thesis in Political Science
180.0 ECTS
|
Specialization > Political Science | 180.0 |
Political Science and International Relations Seminar
At the end of the curricular unit, each student should be able to:
LO1 – Familiarize themselves with the main approaches in PC and IR theories;
LO2 – Develop methodological skills that allow for the development of a doctoral thesis in PC and IR;
LO3 – Develop skills in problematizing research topics, analysing research questions, and designing research proposals;
LO4 – Acquire foundational knowledge about specific methodological techniques;
LO5 – Develop critical analysis skills of research work in PC and IR from a methodological perspective;
LO6 – Familiarize themselves with bibliographical references in PC and IR relevant from a methodological perspective;
LO7 – Develop skills in writing critical essays on topics related to research in PC and IR and the capacity for oral presentation and discussion of the presented work.
PC1. Main approaches in Political Science and main theories of International Relations
PC2. Research design
PC3. Causal inference and experimental design
PC4. Comparative research
PC5. Quantitative analysis techniques
PC6. Qualitative analysis techniques
PC7. Methods: interviews, process tracing, and ethnography
Assessment throughout the semester has the following components:
a) Attendance (minimum 70% attendance), participation in classes (including participation in exercises conducted in the classroom) and completion of tasks outside the classroom (Weight: 35% of the final grade);
b) Individual written essay on a research topic in PC or IR, with special emphasis on objectives and methodological proposal (Weight: 65% of the final grade; 20% for the document submitted in the 1st semester, 45% for the document submitted in the 2nd semester).
It is not possible to complete the curricular unit by exam.
More details on the components of assessment throughout the semester:
a) Being participative in classes means: making interesting interventions in classes, asking questions that show you are following the topics taught, participating in debates and exercises, and demonstrating an attentive attitude.
b) At the end of each class, students are asked to develop an activity related to the material taught in that class, which is then discussed at the beginning of the next class. This discussion reveals who completed the activity and the quality of their work. The lecturer may also ask for the activity to be submitted in written format.
c) The final essay consists of reviewing a topic (of the student's choice), with emphasis on how it has been empirically treated: what objectives do investigations on this topic aim to achieve? What types of methodologies have been adopted (more qualitative, more quantitative)?; what is the most common level of analysis (micro, macro, etc)?; what types of analyses have been conducted?; what explanatory factors have been analysed?; has the analysis of this topic focused mainly on which countries?, etc.
On the first day of class, students receive more specific instructions on the content of the final essay.
At the end of the 1st semester, students must submit to the lecturers (of PC or IR, depending on their thesis specialization area) a first version of the final essay, based on 5-10 articles, for which they will receive feedback. This first version accounts for 20% of the final grade.
At the end of the 2nd semester, students must submit to the lecturers (of PC or IR, depending on their thesis specialization area) the final version of the work, based on an unlimited number of articles. The final version accounts for 45% of the final grade.
Number of pages (1st semester): 8, excluding cover and bibliography (5-10 articles)
Number of pages (2nd semester): 10, excluding cover and bibliography (unlimited articles).
CP:
Della Porta D, Keating M, (2008, eds). Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences: A Pluralist Perspective. Cambridge University Press.
Lowndes, Vivien; David Marsh e Gerry Stoker (2018), Theory and methods in political science, Londres, Palgrave.
Bryman, Alan (2012), Social Research Methods, Oxford University Press.
Howard, Christopher (2017), Thinking like a Political Scientist: a practical guide to research methods, The University of Chicago Press.
RI:
Devin, Guillaume, et al. (2018). Resources and Applied Methods in International Relations. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Lamont, C. (2020). Research methods in International Relations. SAGE.
Savigny, H., and Marsden, L. (2011). Doing Political Science and International Relations: Theories in Action. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Roselle, L., Shelton, J. T., & Spray, S. (2019). Research and writing in international relations. Routledge.
CP:
Box-Steffensmeier, Janet M. (ed.) (2010), The Oxford Handbook of Political Methodology, Oxford, OUP.
Burnham, Peter, Karin Lutz, Wyn Grand and Zig Layton-Henry (2008, 2nd edition), Research Methods and Politics, Palgrave, 38-68.
Gerring, Jonh (2007), Case Study Research Principles and Practices . NY: CUP.
Gustafsson, Karl & Hagström, Linus (2018) “what is the point? teaching graduate students how to construct political science research puzzles”. European Political Science 17, 634–648.
Kamler, Barbara & Pat Thomson (2014, 2nd edition), Helping Doctoral Students Write:
Pedagogies for Supervision, Routledge.
Johnson, Janet Buttolph, e H. T. Reynolds (2020), Political Science Research Methods, 9ªed., Los Angeles, Sage.
Hancke, B. (2009), Intelligent Research Design. A Guide for Beginning Researchers in the Social Sciences, Oxford, OUP.
RI
Jackson, P. T. (2011). The Conduct of Inquiry in International Relations. New York: Routledge.
Burchill, S. et al. (Ed.) (2009). Theories of International Relations. (4th ed.). New York: Palgrave.
Cravinho, J. G. (2008). Visões do Mundo: as Relações Internacionais e o Mundo Contemporâneo (3rd ed.). Lisboa: ICS.
Reus-Smit, C., and Snidal, D. (Eds.). (2010). The Oxford Handbook of International Relations. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.
Dunne, T., Kurki, M., & Smith, S. (Eds.). (2021). International relations theories: Discipline and diversity. Oxford University Press, USA.
Political Systems, Europeanization and International Relations
Part I:
- To describe the enlargement of the field of history of international relations and the incorporation of new concepts, goals and methods;
- To identify the origins of the Cold War as well as its essential characteristics;
- To identify the causes of the end of the Cold War and the essential characteristics of the international system after 1989;
- To explain the decline of American supremacy and the changes in the international system in the 21st Century.
Part II:
- To understand the institutional evolution of the EU from an historical perspective and in the context of Globalization.
- To assess the development and functioning of the EU as a political system;
- To critically analyse some of the main EU policies;
- To explain the functioning of the EU Institutions;
- To understand the different level of EU’s governance.
Part I
- International Relations in Contemporary Era: theoretical and methodological introduction.
- The Cold War;
- The end of the Cold War and the post-1989 world;
- The Post-American World? Changes in the International System in the 21st Century.
Part II
- History of the European integration process, in the context of Globalization: enlargement and treaties; from cooperation to integration; the EU after Maastricht; from the European Convention to the Lisbon Treaty;
- The EU between intergovernamentality and supranationality and the theories of European integration: neofunctionalism; intergovernmentalism; multi-level governance.
Evaluation throughout the semester (2 semesters):
1) Attendance and participation, including reading and discussing the texts scheduled weekly: 20% (10% each semester). Minimum attendance requirement: 70% of classes.
2) Two literature review essays, one on Part I and the other on Part II of the Program, from a list of topics to be provided by each professor in each semester. The essays are individual, in English or Portuguese, with a maximum of 10 pages each: 80% (40% for each essay, with 20% for the written component of the essay + 20% for the oral presentation given on the day of submission).
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Research Project Seminar in Political Science and International Relations
The learning objectives are:
1 - to clearly define research goals
2 - to prepare and present a literature review
3 - to learn how to build a theoretical framework of analysis appropriate to the research objectives
4 - to build hypotheses and justify them
5 - to learn how to set a proper methodological strategy in accordance to the research objectives.
Main subjects to be developed:
1) Definition of research project stages: I) objectives, the problem; II) state of the art, literature review; III) theoretical framing; IV) methodological strategy, observation field, research plan, data assemblage techniques; V) schedule; VI) expected results; VII) bibliography.
2) Theory's role in empirical research. Theory as research tool and product.
3) Hypothesis and operationalization of concepts
4) Types of research: extensive/qualitative; comparative/typological; intensive/qualitative;
5) Research methods and techniques
Evaluation throughout the semester. Assessment will be based on the following components:
I. Participation in doctoral conferences and in the course seminars, including performance as a discussant during the presentation of research projects under evaluation – 20% of the final grade.
II - Presentation and discussion in class of the first version of the research projects (at the beginning of the second semester) - 20% of the final grade
III - Development of a research project for a doctoral thesis, in a written document of about 20 pages - 60% of the final grade
Brady, Henry E. and Collier, David (ed.) (2010), Rethinking Social Inquiry. Diverse Tools, Shared Standards, New York: Rowman & Littlefield.
Bryman, Alan (2004, 2001), Social Research Methods, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Creswell, John W. (2003), Research Design. Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Davies, Martin B. E Hughes, Nathan (2014), Doing a Successful Research Project: Using Qualitative or Quantitative Methods.
Della Porta, Donatella e Michael Keating (eds.) (2008), Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences. A Pluralist Perspective, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Johnson, Janet Buttolph, e H. T. Reynolds (2020), Political Science Research Methods, 9ªed., Los Angeles, Sage.
Pollock III, Philip H., e Barry C. Edwards (2019), The Essentials of Political Analysis, 6ª ed., Washington, CQ Press.
Silverman, David (ed.)(2021) Doing Qualitative Research, 6ª ed., Londres, Sage.
Abbas M. Tashakkori Robert Burke Johnson, and Charles B. Teddlie (2021), Foundations of Mixed Methods Research: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2nd ed., Thousand Oaks, Sage.
Aróstegui, Julio (2003), La Investigación Historica. Teoria Y Método, Barcelona: Editorial Crítica.
Barakso, Maryann; Sabet, Daniel M.; Schaffner, Brian (2014), Understanding Political Science Research Methods. The Challenge of Inference, New York: Routledge.
Bardach, Eugene, e Eric M. Patashnik (2023), A Practical Guide for Policy analysis. The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving, 7ªed., Thousand Oaks, Sage e CQ Press.
Bauer, Martin W. and Gaskell, George (2008) Pesquisa Qualitativa com Texto, Imagem e Som: Um Manual Prático, Petrópolis, Editora Vozes.
Beaud, Michel (1991), L?Art de la Thèse. Comment préparer et rédiger une thèse de doctorat, Paris, Éditions La Découverte.
Bell, Judith (1997), Como Realizar um Projecto de Investigação, Lisboa, Gradiva.
Berlin, Isaiah (1999) «O divórcio entre as ciências e as humanidades» in A Apoteose da Vontade Romântica. Uma Antologia de Ensaios, Lisboa, Bizâncio.
Berthelot, Jean-Michel (ed.) (2001) Epistémologie des Sciences Sociales, Paris, PUF.
Black, Thomas R. (1993), Evaluating Social Science Research: An Introduction, Londres, Sage.
Blaikie, Norman (2007), Approaches to Social Enquiry: Advancing Knowledge, Cambridge, Polity Press.
Boix, Carles, e Stokes, Susan (editors) (2007), The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Politics, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Booth, Wayne C.; Gregory G. Colomb; Joseph M. Williams; Joseph Bizup; e William T. Fitzgerald (2024), The Craft of Research, Chicago, 5ªed.The University of Chicago Press.
Bryman Alan (2007), "Barriers to integrating quantitative and qualitative research" Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1, pp.8-22.
Bukve, O (2019) Designing Social Science Research. Cham: Palgrave.
Burgess, Robert G. (1997), A Pesquisa de Terreno. Uma Introdução, Oeiras, Celta.
Collier, David (1999, 1991), «El método comparativo: dos décadas de cambios?,» in Sartori, Giovanni, e Leonardo Morlino, La Comparación en las Ciencias Sociales, Madrid, Alianza Editorial, pp. 51-81.
Collier, David (2011), "Understanding Process Tracing", Political Science and Politics 44(4), pp. 823-30.
Clark, Tom; Liam Foster, e Alan Bryman (2019), How to do your Social Research Project or Dissertation, Oxford, OUP.
Creswell, John W. (2014), Investigação Qualitativa e Projeto de Pesquisa: Escolhendo Entre Cinco Abordagens, 3ªed., Porto Alegre: Penso.
Dalton, Russell J., e Klingemann, Hans-Dieter (eds.) (2008), The Oxford Handbook of Political Behavior, Oxford, OUP.
Denzin, N.K. & Lincoln, Y.S. (eds.) (2005): The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, 3rd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA, London: Sage.
Druckman, James N. et al (ed.) (201), Handbook of Experimental Political Science, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Flick, Uwe(2005), Métodos Qualitativos na Investigação Científica, Lisboa, Monitor.
Gauthier, Benoît, e Jean Turgeon (2003, 2000), «Os dados secundários », in Benoît Gauthier (org.), Investigação Social. Da Problemática à Colheita de Dados, Loures, Lusociência, pp. 417-446.
George, Alexander L. and Bennett, Andrew (2005), Case Studies and Theory Developments in the Social Sciences, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Gerring, John (2004), "What is a Case Study and What is it Good For?", American Political Science Review, 98(2), pp. 341-53.
Gerring, John (2007), Case Study Research, Principles and Practices, Cambridge: CUP.
Gubrium, J. F. & Holstein, J. A. (eds.) (2001): Handbook of Interview Research: Context and Methodology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Hancké, B. (2009), Intelligent Research Design. A Guide for Beginning Researchers in the Social Sciences, Oxford, OUP.
Hollis, Martin (1990) Explaining and Understanding International Relations, Oxford, Clarendon
Howard, C (2022) Thinking Like a Political Scientist: A Practical Guide to Research Methods. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Kiecolt, K. Jill, e Laura E. Nathan (1985), Secondary Analysis of Survey Data, Londres, Sage.
King, Gary (1994), Designing Social Inquiry: Scientific Inference in Qualitative Research, Princeton, N.J, Princeton University Press.
King, Gary (1997), «Qualitative Overview», in A Solution to the Ecological Inference Problem. Reconstructing Individual Behavior from Aggregate Data, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1997, pp. 3-34.
Kvale, S. & Brinkmann, S. (2008): Interviews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, New Delhi, London, Singapore: Sage.
Landman, Todd and Edzia Carvalho (2016), Issues and Methods in Comparative Politics. An Introduction, 4th. Ed., Londres, Routledge.
Lessard-Hébert, M; G. Goyette; G. Boutin (2005), Investigação Qualitativa. Fundamentos e Práticas, 2ªed., Lisboa, Piaget.
Mahoney, J. (2007). Qualitative Methodology and Comparative Politics. Comparative Political Studies, 40(2), 122–144.
Maxwell, Joseph A. (2012) Qualitative Research Design. An Interactive Approach, Thousand Oaks, Sage.
Monroe, Alan D. (2019), Essentials of Political Research, Illinois, 6ªed., Westview Press.
Morton, Rebecca B. and Williams, Kenneth C. (2010), Experimental Political Science and the Study of Causality. From Nature to the Lab, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mosley, Layna (ed.) (2013), Interview Research in Political Science, Itacha and London: Cornell University Press.
White, Hayden (1990) «The question of narrative in contemporary historical theory» in The Content of the Form. Narrative Discourse and Historical Representation, Baltimore e Londres, The Johns Hopkins University Presspp. 26-57.
O'Dochartaigh, Nial (2002), The INTERNET Research Handbook: a Practical Guide for Students and Researchers in the Social Sciences, Londres, Sage Publications.
Oyen, Else (1990) (ed), Comparative Methodology. Theory and practice in International Social Research, London, Sage.
Pennings, Paul; Keman, Hans; and Kleinnijenhuisb, Jan (2006), Doing Research in Political Science. An Introduction to Comparative Methods and Statistics, London: Sage Publications.
Peters, Guy B. (1998), Comparative Politics. Theory and Methods, Nova Iorque, New York University Press.
Peters, Guy B. (2012), Institutional Theory in Political Science: The New Institutionalism, London: Continuum.
Punch, Keith F. (1998), Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative & Qualitative Approaches, Londres, Sage. Ragin, Charles (1987), The Comparative Method. Moving Beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Strategies, Berkley, University of California Press.
Ragin, Charles (1987), The Comparative Method. Moving Beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Strategies, Berkley, University of California Press.
Ragin, Charles C. e Howard S. Becker (eds.) (1994), What Is a Case? Exploring the Foundations of Social Inquiry, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Rihoux, Benoit and Ragin, Charles C. (2009) Configurational Comparative Methods: Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and Related Techniques, Thousand Oaks, Sage
Ritchie, J. & Lewis, J. (eds.) (2003): Qualitative Research Practice. A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Robinson, John P., et al (eds) (1999), Measures of Political Attitudes, San Diego/California, Academic Press
Seawright, J. & Gerring, J. (2008). Case Selection Techniques in Case Study Research: A Menu of Qualitative and Quantitative Options. Political Research Quarterly, 61, 294-308.
Silverman, David (ed.)(2021) Doing Qualitative Research, 6ª ed., Londres, Sage.
Tashakkori, A. & Creswell, J. W. (2007). Exploring the Nature of Research Questions in Mixed Methods Research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(3), 207-211.
Contemporary Debates and Controversies in Political Science
By the end of the course unit, students should be able to recognize the diversity that characterizes contemporary democratic political systems and articulate some of their key problems and challenges.
They should also be able to identify different scientific approaches and analytical frameworks, as well as the divergent positions held by the main schools of thought in contemporary Political Science.
Finally, students should be able to pinpoint central research topics within the discipline, particularly those marked by ambiguities and/or gaps, which underpin some of the most relevant current debates and controversies in the field.
PART I. REPRESENTATION, DELIBERATION, AND IDEOLOGY IN LIBERAL DEMOCRACIES
Political and ideological representation: theoretical models, political parties, and electoral systems
Collective deliberation and public opinion: contributions to democracy
The discourse on the end of ideology and the left–right divide: persistence and validity, new and old cleavages
PART II. POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND ELECTORAL BEHAVIOR
Political Participation: typologies and innovation
Electoral Participation: explanatory factors and incentive strategies
Electoral Behavior: from classical models to contemporary debates
Assessment throughout the semester is based on three key components:
Attendance and participation in class, particularly in the discussion of the assigned texts (minimum required attendance: 70% of classes) – weighting: 20% of the final grade;
Oral presentation of article(s) and/or chapter(s) in class – weighting: 30%;
Written assignment consisting of a literature review on one of the topics covered in the course, following the guidelines provided in class – weighting: 50%.
PARTE I
DALTON, Russell (2019), Citizen Politics, Washington, CQ Press.
KRIESI, Hanspeter; GRANDE, Edgar; LACHAT, Romain; DOLEZAL, Martin; BORNSCHIER, Simon; FREY, Timotheos (2008), West European politics in the age of globalization, Cambridge; NY: CUP.
FISHKIN, James (2018), Democracy when the people are thinking, Oxford: OUP.
POWELL, G. Bingham Jr. (2000), Elections as Instruments of Democracy, New Haven e Londres: Yale University Press.
PARTE II
Blais, A., e Daoust, J.-F. (2020). The motivation to vote: Explaining electoral participation. Vancouver: UBC Press.
Dassonneville, R., Barbosa, T., Blais, A., McAllister, I. e Turgeon, M. (2023). Citizens under compulsory voting: A three-country study. Cambridge e Nova Iorque: CUP.
Freire, A. (2001). Modelos do comportamento eleitoral. Lisboa: Celta Editora.
Gallego, A. (2015). Unequal political participation worldwide. Cambridge: CUP.
Lobo, M. C., & Espírito-Santo, A. (2024). O eleitorado português no século XXI. Lisboa: Tinta da China.
LEITURAS COMPLEMENTARES
PARTE I - REPRESENTAÇÃO, DELIBERAÇÃO E IDEOLOGIA NAS DEMOCRACIAS LIBERAIS
1. Representação Política e Ideológica: Modelos Teóricos, Partidos Políticos, e Sistemas Eleitorais
ACHEN, Christopher H. e BARTELS, Larry M. (2017), Democracy for realists: Why elections do not produce responsive government, Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press.
ANDEWEG, Rudy B. e THOMASSEN, Jacques (2005), Modes of political representation: Toward a new typology?, Legislative Studies Quarterly, xxx, 4, pp. 507-528.
BELCHIOR, Ana M. (2013), Explaining left-right party congruence across European party systems. A test of micro and macro level models, Comparative Political Studies, 46(3), pp. 352-386.
HUBER, J., e Powell, G. B. Jr. (1994), Congruence between Citizens and Policy Makers in Two Visions of Liberal Democracy, World Politics, 46, pp.291-326.
MCDONALD, Michael, e Ian Budge (2005), Elections, Parties, and Democracy: Conferring the Median Mandate, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
NAURIN, Elin, Stuart Soroka, e Niels Markwat (2019), Asymmetric accountability: An experimental investigation of biases in evaluations of governments' election pledges, Comparative Political Studies, 52(13-14), pp.2207-2234.
2. Deliberação colectiva e opinião pública: contributos para a democracia
ALTHAUS, Scott L. (2003), Collective Preferences in Democratic Politics. Opinion Surveys and the Will of the People, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
BARTELS, Larry (2016), Unequal Democracy. The Political Economy of the New Gilded Age, 2ªed., Princeton e Oxford: Princeton University Press.
HOBOLT, S. B., e KLEMMENSEN, R. (2008), Government responsiveness and political competition in comparative perspective, Comparative Political Studies, 41(3), pp.309-337.
MANSERGH, L. E. and THOMSON, R. (2007), Election pledges, party competition and policymaking, Comparative Politics, 39(3), pp.311-329.
PAGE, Benjamin e SHAPIRO, Robert (1992), The Rational Public, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
ZALLER, John R. (1992), The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
3. O discurso do fim da ideologia e a dicotomia esquerda-direita: persistência e validade, novas e velhas clivagens
DALTON, Russell (2006), Social modernization and the end of ideology debate: patterns of ideological polarization, Japanese Journal of Political Science, 7(1).
FLANAGAN, Scott C. e Aie-Rie Lee (2003), The new politics, culture wars, and the authoritarian-libertarian value change in advanced industrial democracies, Comparative Political Studies, 36(3), pp.235-270.
FUKUYAMA, Francis (1992), O Fim da História e o Último Homem, Lisboa: Gradiva.
KRIESI, Hanspeter, GRANDE, Edgar, DOLEZAL, Martin, HELBLING, Marc, HÖGLINGER, Dominic, HUTTER, Swen, e WÜEST (2012), Political Conflict in Western Europe, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
LACHAT, Romain (2018), Which way from left ro right. On the relation between voters issue preferences and left-right orientation in West European democracies, International Political Science Review, 39(4), pp.419-435.
PARTE II
Alvarez, R. M., Kiewiet, D. R., & Núñez, L. (2018). A taxonomy of protest voting. Annual Review of Political Science, 21(1), 135-154.
Bengtsson, Å. (2004). Economic voting: The effect of political context, volatility and turnout on voters’ assignment of responsibility. European Journal of Political Research, 43(5), 749-767.
Bronner, L., & Ifkovits, D. (2019). Voting at 16: Intended and unintended consequences of Austria's electoral reform. Electoral Studies, 61, 102064.
Cancela, J., Rezende-Matias, A. & Santana-Pereira, J. (2024). Abstenção em Portugal no Século XXI: Fatores explicativos da participação nas eleições legislativas em perspetiva longitudinal. Em M. Costa Lobo e A. Espírito Santo (Eds.), O Eleitorado Português no Século XXI (pp. 25-49). Tinta-da-China.
Cantarella, M., Fraccaroli, N., & Volpe, R. (2023). Does fake news affect voting behaviour?. Research Policy, 52(1), 104628.
Dassonneville, R., Feitosa, F., Hooghe, M., & Oser, J. (2021). Policy responsiveness to all citizens or only to voters? A longitudinal analysis of policy responsiveness in OECD countries. European Journal of Political Research, 60(3), 583-602.
Dekoninck, H., & Schmuck, D. (2022). The mobilizing power of influencers for pro-environmental behavior intentions and political participation. Environmental Communication, 16(4), 458-472.
Eichhorn, J., & Bergh, J. (2021). Lowering the voting age to 16 in practice: Processes and outcomes compared. Parliamentary Affairs, 74(3), 507–521.
Freire, A., & Turgeon, M. (2020). Random votes under compulsory voting: Evidence from Brazil. Electoral Studies, 66, 102168.
Fournier, P., Nadeau, R., Blais, A., Gidengil, E., & Nevitte, N. (2004). Time-of-voting decision and susceptibility to campaign effects. Electoral Studies, 23(4), 661-681.
Godbout, J. F., & Turgeon, M. (2019). The preferences of voters and non-voters in Canada (1988–2008). In P. J. Loewen e D. Rubenson (Eds.), Duty and Choice: The Evolution of the Study of Voting and Voters (pp. 81-104). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Goodman, N., McGregor, M., Couture, J., & Breux, S. (2018). Another digital divide? Evidence that elimination of paper voting could lead to digital disenfranchisement. Policy & Internet, 10(2), 164-184.
Gronke, P., Galanes-Rosenbaum, E., Miller, P. A., & Toffey, D. (2008). Convenience voting. Annual Review of Political Science., 11(1), 437-455.
Harff, D., & Schmuck, D. (2023). Influencers as empowering agents? Following political influencers, internal political efficacy and participation among youth. Political Communication, 40(2), 147-172.
Jacobs, L., Close, C., & Pilet, J. B. (2025). The angry voter? The role of emotions in voting for the radical left and right at the 2019 Belgian elections. International Political Science Review, 46(1), 144-159.
Jeroense, T., & Spierings, N. (2023). Political participation profiles. West European Politics, 46(1), 1-23.
Kim, D. H., & Ellison, N. B. (2022). From observation on social media to offline political participation: The social media affordances approach. New Media & Society, 24(12), 2614-2634.
Kostelka, F., Singh, S. P., & Blais, A. (2024). Is compulsory voting a solution to low and declining turnout? Cross-national evidence since 1945. Political Science Research and Methods, 12(1), 76-93.
Lau, R. R., Patel, P., Fahmy, D. F., & Kaufman, R. R. (2014). Correct voting across thirty-three democracies: A preliminary analysis. British Journal of Political Science, 44(2), 239-259.
Lewis-Beck, M. S., & Paldam, M. (2000). Economic voting: an introduction. Electoral Studies, 19(2-3), 113-121.
Loew, N., & Faas, T. (2019). Between thin-and host-ideologies: How populist attitudes interact with policy preferences in shaping voting behaviour. Representation, 55(4), 493-511.
Marcos-Marne, H., Plaza-Colodro, C., & Freyburg, T. (2020). Who votes for new parties? Economic voting, political ideology and populist attitudes. West European Politics, 43(1), 1-21.
Meffert, M. F., & Gschwend, T. (2011). Polls, coalition signals and strategic voting: An experimental investigation of perceptions and effects. European Journal of Political Research, 50(5), 636-667.
Ruess, C., Hoffmann, C. P., Boulianne, S., & Heger, K. (2023). Online political participation: the evolution of a concept. Information, Communication & Society, 26(8), 1495-1512.
Sabucedo, J. M., & Arce, C. (1991). Types of political participation: A multidimensional analysis. European Journal of Political Research, 20(1), 93-102.
Smets, K., & van Ham, C. (2013). The embarrassment of riches? A meta-analysis of individual-level research on voter turnout. Electoral Studies, 32(2), 344–359.
Stockemer, D. (2017). What affects voter turnout? A review article/meta-analysis of aggregate research. Government and Opposition, 52(4), 698-722.
Theocharis, Y., Boulianne, S., Koc-Michalska, K., & Bimber, B. (2023). Platform affordances and political participation: how social media reshape political engagement. West European Politics, 46(4), 788-811.
Van Deth, J. W. (2014). A conceptual map of political participation. Acta Politica, 49, 349-367.
Ward, G., De Neve, J. E., Ungar, L. H., & Eichstaedt, J. C. (2021). (Un)happiness and voting in US presidential elections. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 120(2), 370.
Zimmermann, F., & Kohring, M. (2020). Mistrust, disinforming news, and vote choice: A panel survey on the origins and consequences of believing disinformation in the 2017 German parliamentary election. Political Communication, 37(2), 215-237.
2nd Cycle Internship
The learning outcomes of the Internship are adapted to each internship and the institution where it is developed. These are:
LO1. To acquire technical skills linked to methods and techniques for action within different kinds of institutions related to the general objectives and learning outcomes of the master's degree;
LO2. To develop research and action-research skills within organizations related to the master's degree;
LO3. To prepare an internship report that reveals analytical reflection of the professional or academic context;
LO4. Develop indicators for recording and evaluating professional practice.
1. Topic and problem of the internship
2. Internship plan
3. Theoretical and methodological framework
4. Methodology of collaborative action research
5. Evaluation
6. Report
Individual report, which contains the following elements:
a) Characterization of the institutional context (history, organization, policies and services, activities, organizational structure and functioning);
b) Framing the internship institution;
c) Description of the activities developed (roles, responsibilities, agents, work processes, methodologies used)
d) Critical and theoretically based conclusions
e) References
The UC does not contemplate the modality of evaluation by Exam.
- Sweitzer, H. Frederick e King, Mary A. (2014), The Successful Internship: Personal, Professional, and Civic Development in Experiential Learning, Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.
- Reeher, Gant e Mariani, Mack (2002), The Insider's Guide To Political Internships: What To Do Once You're In The Door, Nova Iorque: Basic Books
- Neves, José, Garrido, Margarida, Simões Eduardo (2008), Manual de Competências Pessoais, Interpessoais e Instrumentais. Teoria e Prática, Lisboa: Editora SÍLABO
- Della Porta, Donatella e Keating Michael (eds.) (2008) Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences. A Pluralist Perspective, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
- Courtney, Roger (2013), Strategic Management in the Third Sector, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
- Capucha, Luís (2008), Planeamento e Avaliação de Projetos. Guião Prático, Lisboa: ME/DGIDC
Phd Thesis in Political Science
Students are intended to structure an advanced PS & IR research adding something that is both innovative and methodologically solid in face of the state of the art It is aspired that the students become capable of formulating a politological problem (PS or IR), framing it in the current state of the art, allocating a theoretical framework, putting it into practice and studying it in a solid methodological manner with ground-breaking results and potential social and political.
Program1) The research stages in Political Science and International Relations;
2) Research methodologies in Political Science & International Relations
3) Main Political Science?s and International Relations? Paradigms, Schools and Approaches;
4) Deontological matters in a Political Science and International Relations research
5) The social and political relevance of Political Science and IR researching;
6) Practical application of knowledge produced by Political Science and International Relations research.
1st) Attendance and participation in classes - 50%;
2nd) Presentation and discussion of the research projects in the classes - 50%;
3rd) Fulfilment of tasks for the production of the Phd Thesis in Political Science - PS or IR - 0% (mark to be attributed out of the present unit by each dissertation supervisor, but taking into account attendance and participation on the classes of this course).
4th) the attendance to at least 75% of the conferences by semester is mandatory to be approved.
Box-Steffensmeier, Janet M. (ed.) (2010), The Oxford Handbook of Political Methodology, Oxford, OUP.
Curini, L. & Franzese, R. (2020), The SAGE Handbook of Research Methods in Political Science and International Relations, Sage.
Davies, Martin B. E Hughes, Nathan (2014), Doing a Successful Research Project: Using Qualitative or Quantitative Methods.
Della Porta, Donatella e Michael Keating (eds.) (2008), Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences. A Pluralist Perspective, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Johnson, Janet Buttolph, e H. T. Reynolds (2020), Political Science Research Methods, 9ªed., Los Angeles, Sage.
Landman, Todd (2003), Issues and Methods in Comparative Politics. An Introduction, Londres, Routledge.
Lamont, Christopher (2015), Research methods in International Relations, 2015.
Reus-Smit, C. & Snidal, D. (2008), The Oxford Handbook of International Relations, OUP.
Abbas M. Tashakkori Robert Burke Johnson, and Charles B. Teddlie (2021), Foundations of Mixed Methods Research: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2nd ed., Thousand Oaks, Sage.
Aróstegui, Julio (2003), La Investigación Historica. Teoria Y Método, Barcelona: Editorial Crítica.
Barakso, Maryann; Sabet, Daniel M.; Schaffner, Brian (2014), Understanding Political Science Research Methods. The Challenge of Inference, New York: Routledge.
Bardach, Eugene, e Eric M. Patashnik (2023), A Practical Guide for Policy analysis. The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving, 7ªed., Thousand Oaks, Sage e CQ Press.
Bauer, Martin W. and Gaskell, George (2008) Pesquisa Qualitativa com Texto, Imagem e Som: Um Manual Prático, Petrópolis, Editora Vozes.
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Bell, Judith (1997), Como Realizar um Projecto de Investigação, Lisboa, Gradiva.
Berlin, Isaiah (1999) «O divórcio entre as ciências e as humanidades» in A Apoteose da Vontade Romântica. Uma Antologia de Ensaios, Lisboa, Bizâncio.
Berthelot, Jean-Michel (ed.) (2001) Epistémologie des Sciences Sociales, Paris, PUF.
Black, Thomas R. (1993), Evaluating Social Science Research: An Introduction, Londres, Sage.
Blaikie, Norman (2007), Approaches to Social Enquiry: Advancing Knowledge, Cambridge, Polity Press.
Boix, Carles, e Stokes, Susan (editors) (2007), The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Politics, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Brady, Henry E. and Collier, David (ed.) (2010), Rethinking Social Inquiry. Diverse Tools, Shared Standards, New York: Rowman & Littlefield.
Bryman Alan (2007), "Barriers to integrating quantitative and qualitative research" Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1, pp.8-22.
Booth, Wayne C.; Gregory G. Colomb; Joseph M. Williams; Joseph Bizup; e William T. Fitzgerald (2024), The Craft of Research, Chicago, 5ªed.The University of Chicago Press.
Bryman, Alan (2004, 2001), Social Research Methods, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Bukve, O (2019) Designing Social Science Research. Cham: Palgrave.
Burgess, Robert G. (1997), A Pesquisa de Terreno. Uma Introdução, Oeiras, Celta.
Collier, David (1999, 1991), «El método comparativo: dos décadas de cambios?,» in Sartori, Giovanni, e Leonardo Morlino, La Comparación en las Ciencias Sociales, Madrid, Alianza Editorial, pp. 51-81.
Collier, David (2011), "Understanding Process Tracing", Political Science and Politics 44(4), pp. 823-30.
Clark, Tom; Liam Foster, e Alan Bryman (2019), How to do your Social Research Project or Dissertation, Oxford, OUP.
Creswell, John W. (2014), Investigação Qualitativa e Projeto de Pesquisa: Escolhendo Entre Cinco Abordagens, 3ªed., Porto Alegre: Penso.
Dalton, Russell J., e Klingemann, Hans-Dieter (eds.) (2008), The Oxford Handbook of Political Behavior, Oxford, OUP.
Denzin, N.K. & Lincoln, Y.S. (eds.) (2005): The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, 3rd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA, London: Sage.
Druckman, James N. et al (ed.) (201), Handbook of Experimental Political Science, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Flick, Uwe(2005), Métodos Qualitativos na Investigação Científica, Lisboa, Monitor.
Gauthier, Benoît, e Jean Turgeon (2003, 2000), «Os dados secundários », in Benoît Gauthier (org.), Investigação Social. Da Problemática à Colheita de Dados, Loures, Lusociência, pp. 417-446.
George, Alexander L. and Bennett, Andrew (2005), Case Studies and Theory Developments in the Social Sciences, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Gerring, John (2004), "What is a Case Study and What is it Good For?", American Political Science Review, 98(2), pp. 341-53.
Gerring, John (2007), Case Study Research, Principles and Practices, Cambridge: CUP.
Gubrium, J. F. & Holstein, J. A. (eds.) (2001): Handbook of Interview Research: Context and Methodology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Hancké, B. (2009), Intelligent Research Design. A Guide for Beginning Researchers in the Social Sciences, Oxford, OUP.
Hollis, Martin (1990) Explaining and Understanding International Relations, Oxford, Clarendon
Howard, C (2022) Thinking Like a Political Scientist: A Practical Guide to Research Methods. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Jones, Laurence e Olson, Eduard (1997), Political Science Research, Nova Iorque: Longman.
Kiecolt, K. Jill, e Laura E. Nathan (1985), Secondary Analysis of Survey Data, Londres, Sage.
King, Gary (1994), Designing Social Inquiry: Scientific Inference in Qualitative Research, Princeton, N.J, Princeton University Press.
King, Gary (1997), «Qualitative Overview», in A Solution to the Ecological Inference Problem. Reconstructing Individual Behavior from Aggregate Data, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1997, pp. 3-34.
Kvale, S. & Brinkmann, S. (2008): Interviews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, New Delhi, London, Singapore: Sage.
Landman, Todd and Edzia Carvalho (2016), Issues and Methods in Comparative Politics. An Introduction, 4th. Ed., Londres, Routledge.
Lessard-Hébert, M; G. Goyette; G. Boutin (2005), Investigação Qualitativa. Fundamentos e Práticas, 2ªed., Lisboa, Piaget.
Mahoney, J. (2007). Qualitative Methodology and Comparative Politics. Comparative Political Studies, 40(2), 122–144.
Maxwell, Joseph A. (2012) Qualitative Research Design. An Interactive Approach, Thousand Oaks, Sage.
Monroe, Alan D. (2019), Essentials of Political Research, Illinois, 6ªed., Westview Press.
Morton, Rebecca B. and Williams, Kenneth C. (2010), Experimental Political Science and the Study of Causality. From Nature to the Lab, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mosley, Layna (ed.) (2013), Interview Research in Political Science, Itacha and London: Cornell University Press.
White, Hayden (1990) «The question of narrative in contemporary historical theory» in The Content of the Form. Narrative Discourse and Historical Representation, Baltimore e Londres, The Johns Hopkins University Presspp. 26-57.
O'Dochartaigh, Nial (2002), The INTERNET Research Handbook: a Practical Guide for Students and Researchers in the Social Sciences, Londres, Sage Publications.
Oyen, Else (1990) (ed), Comparative Methodology. Theory and practice in International Social Research, London, Sage.
Pennings, Paul; Keman, Hans; and Kleinnijenhuisb, Jan (2006), Doing Research in Political Science. An Introduction to Comparative Methods and Statistics, London: Sage Publications.
Peters, Guy B. (1998), Comparative Politics. Theory and Methods, Nova Iorque, New York University Press.
Peters, Guy B. (2012), Institutional Theory in Political Science: The New Institutionalism, London: Continuum.
Pollock III, Philip H., e Barry C. Edwards (2019), The Essentials of Political Analysis, 6ª ed., Washington, CQ Press.
Puchala, Donald (2003), Theory and History in International Relations, Routledge.
Punch, Keith F. (1998), Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative & Qualitative Approaches, Londres, Sage. Ragin, Charles (1987), The Comparative Method. Moving Beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Strategies, Berkley, University of California Press.
Ragin, Charles (1987), The Comparative Method. Moving Beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Strategies, Berkley, University of California Press.
Ragin, Charles C. e Howard S. Becker (eds.) (1994), What Is a Case? Exploring the Foundations of Social Inquiry, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Rihoux, Benoit and Ragin, Charles C. (2009) Configurational Comparative Methods: Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and Related Techniques, Thousand Oaks, Sage
Ritchie, J. & Lewis, J. (eds.) (2003): Qualitative Research Practice. A Guide for Social Science
Students and Researchers, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Rhodes, R. A. W. (ed.) (2006), The Oxford Handbook of Political Institutions, Oxford, OUP.
Robinson, John P., et al (eds) (1999), Measures of Political Attitudes, San Diego/California, Academic Press
Seawright, J. & Gerring, J. (2008). Case Selection Techniques in Case Study Research: A Menu of Qualitative and Quantitative Options. Political Research Quarterly, 61, 294-308.
Schieder, Siegfried & Spindler, Manuela (2014), Theories of International Relations, Routledge.
Silverman, David (ed.)(2021) Doing Qualitative Research, 6ª ed., Londres, Sage.
Tashakkori, A. & Creswell, J. W. (2007). Exploring the Nature of Research Questions in Mixed Methods Research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(3), 207-211.
Recommended optative
02678 | Political Campaigns Analysis
00529 | Elections, Parties and Political Representation
03426 | Public Opinion and Polls
00528 | Attitudes and Political Behaviour
03427 | Comparative Political Institutions
02894 | Social Movements in the Digital Era
01312 | Methodos of Data Analysis
Optional courses have a limited number of places. On the other hand, they will only be held if they achieve a minimum number of enrollments.
The optional course may be other course of 6 ECTS credits, of the 2nd or 3rd cycle, with available vacancies, taking place in the 1st semester.
The list of the optional courses, for each new academic year, will be available on Fénix+ for new students to register, during the period defined for that purpose.
For more information on the curricular units running at Iscte, visit the page https://fenix-mais.iscte-iul.pt/units/iscte/informacao-geral.
Objectives
The programme combines thematic diversity, close guidance from researchers with solid international experience, and integration into research projects and outputs, providing solid theoretical and analytical training for careers in academia, political parties, public administration, or national and international organisations focused on public policy. Its objectives are:
· To acquire advanced theoretical knowledge in the field of Political Science and International Relations;
· To develop empirical research skills;
· To design, plan and develop scientifically relevant research in accordance with standards of academic rigour;
· To promote critical thinking and the ability to critically analyse content;
· To acquire communication skills for the academic community and society in general.
Students are intended to acquire the following set of abilities:
a) A systematic command of the discipline of Political Science;
b) Political Science-related competencies, skills and research methods;
c) The ability to conceive, design and implement original research of scientific value;
d) The capacity to critically assess, analyse and summarise new and complex ideas;
e) The capacity to communicate with scientist peers as well as the community on the topic of his/her scientific area, and to publish his/her scientific work;
f) The ability to contribute, in academic and professional contexts, towards social progress and the wellbeing of all populations.
These skills are acquired through the specific features of the study plan, which include: the renewal of knowledge on the issues of PS and IR, the apprehension and debate of cutting-edge research, theoretical and technical-methodological advancement, and a combination of research theory and practice for the purpose of carrying out socially and politically relevant research projects.
Accreditations