Learning objectives
The course aims to provide students with a basic knowledge of the Constitution, the fundamental principles of democratic society, the fundamental rights and duties of people, the functioning of public institutions, the Italian form of government and its main evolutionary trends, as well as new issues of contemporary constitutionalism and global challenges that democracies are already called to face today.
The course intends to contribute to the formation of professionals who know how to participate responsibly and actively, according to their specific skills, in the social, civil and cultural life of the community, respecting the rules, rights and duties of each person.
At the end of the course, the student will have matured
- the basic knowledge of the Constitution, the fundamental principles of the contemporary legal system and the functioning of democratic institutions;
- the ability to understand, evaluate, even critically, the topics covered in the course;
- the ability to apply the acquired knowledge to concrete cases and to the dynamics of daily life.
Prerequisites
No prerequisite is required.
The course is open to all students enrolled in any degree program at the University of Parma with the exception of those enrolled in the Law degree course
Course unit content
The course is built around the keywords of Constitutional law and will focus also on current issues.
The lessons will concern the concept of Constitution and Italian constitutional history; the concept of democracy and contemporary challenges; the principles and mechanisms of functioning of the Italian Republic ( the principle of political representation; the right to vote and electoral laws; the role and transformation of political parties; the principle of separation of powers and constitutional bodies; the parliamentary form of government and constitutional reforms; the role of Parliament in contemporary democracies; the organs of constitutional guarantee and the instruments of direct democracy); the fundamental principles of the Italian Constitution (in particular, the personalist principle, the principle of social pluralism and the principle of solidarity); the status of Italian and foreign citizens; the concept of "Founded on Work" and the principle of equality; the economic and social Constitution; the process of European integration and current issues; the relationship between Religion and Law; scientific research, bioethics, technologies and Constitution (with reference to the discipline of the beginning and end of life and the challenges posed by artificial intelligence); the constitutional protection of the environment and landscape and the principle of sustainability; social media and democracy.
During the course, seminar activities will be organized on specific topics.
Full programme
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Bibliography
For students enrolled in Political Science and International Relations (SPERI) and students enrolled in International and European Relations (RIE):C. Caruso, C. Valentini (a cura di), Grammatica del costituzionalismo, Il Mulino, 2021.
Other materials will be available during the course on Elly platform.
Teaching methods
The course will be carried out through frontal lessons and other seminar activities.
Assessment methods and criteria
The test consists of an oral examination.
The evaluation will focus on
- the knowledge of the topics in which the course is structured;
- the ability to grasp the main evolutionary trends of the subject;
- the ability to connect the different themes studied;
- the ability to critically elaborate the acquired knowledge.
Other information
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