- Knowing and being able to analyze the different conceptions and models of political representation, in its theoretical foundations, dimensions and roles. - Knowing and being able to analyze the electoral systems, both in its elements, founctioning and political consequences. - Knowing and being able to analyze the main variables and patterns of electoral behavior, both in Spain and in a comparative context. - Knowing and being able to use the analitical frameworks to analyze the electoral behavior.

- Unit 1. Democracy and political representation: theoretical foundation, dimensions and representational roles. Measuring empirically political representation models. - Unit 2. Electoral systems: objetives and elements. - Unit 3. The political consequences of electoral systems. Types of electoral systms. - Unit 4. The electoral process and its functions. - Unit 5. The analysis of the vote: cleavages and predispositions. Cleavage voting and issue voting. Change and continuity in electoral behavior. The dimensions of the vote. - Unit 6. Electoral behavior in Spain. Electoral periods and electoral Spains.

In lectures sessions the teacher will explain the main foundations of each unit. Some resources could be recomended to complete the explanation of each unit. Work in seminar sessions will deal with comparing and analyzing cases suggested by the lecturer. Some sessions will be developped in the computing laboratories. The lecturer will suggest the resources and references to be used by the students prior to each seminar sesión. Those resources will be written both in Spanish and English.