After completing the course the student will be able: - To become familiar with political reality from a scientific perspective - To know the main elements and factors, both structural and dynamic, that shape and influence the political process. - To analyze the structure and functioning of political systems and their interaction with their environment - To know the main political institutions and the interrelation of these ones with other political system components - To analyze, in a basic way, the role of different types of political actors. - To recognize the social, political, cultural and religious diversity of contemporary societies and the relevance and transversality that democratic principles and human rights have in them -

1. Politics and political power. Forms of political organization and State models. 2. Democracies and quality of democracies. 3. Values and ideologíes in the political system. Culture and political socialization. 4. The actors of the political system. Political parties, interest groups and social movements. Media and politics. 5. Challenges of politics in today's wolrd

Teaching time is distributed according to the following training activities: - Lectures. It includes case studies that illustrate lectures. - Written exercises on basic reading program and presentations by student teams - Other training: specific work on a film; book test; newspaper seminar; structured discussions, etc..