This is an optional course offered in English for the students of the School and all the Erasmus and exchange students in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. After introducing the students to key concepts in the field of Political Science, the main objective of the current course is to provide a more in- depth analysis of the Greek political and party system. Special emphasis will be given to the political turmoil after the onset of the economic crisis in a comparative South European perspective.
The main themes of the course are the following:
1. Introduction. Conceptual issues. Short overview of the evolution of the Greek state
2. The organization of the Greek state (central government and local authorities)
3. The process towards democratization. The consolidation of the 3rd Hellenic Republic. The main political actors and formations.
4. The party system after 1974. Presentation of parties, leaders, elections
5. Issues of electoral behaviour
6. The Greek political landscape after the onset of the economic crisis. These topics will be presented in comparative perspective.
7. New modes of political mobilization and protest from the onset of the economic crisis
8. Greece and the European Union. The erosion of euro critical attitudes
9. Populism, extremism and radicalization. The Golden Dawn case.
10. Study of political personnel. Women and Politics in Greece after 1974.
11. The elections of 2019 in Greece (both European and national). Analysis of electoral behaviour and focus on the new political landscape
12. Study of political personnel . Women and Politics in Greece
13. Wrap-up and synopsis

The successful completion of the course will offer to the Erasmus students an understanding of the Greek political system after the restoration of democracy in 1974 to the present. They will be able to study the social, economic and political developments in Greece and situate the Greek case within a broader comparative perspective. They will be familiarized with the study of political parties, party systems, as well as issues related to political behaviour and pressure groups. They will be familiarized with English terminology for political scientists.

Midterm written exam with multiple choice questions (30% of the total grade)
Final written exam with multiple choice questions and one in depth question for analysis (50% of the total grade)
Attendance/ involvement in the class (20% of the total grade)
Optional: Short essay (around 3,000 words) on a topic relevant to the course ( or short presentation in the class)- extra bonus

Course Bibliography (Eudoxus)
φάκελος με επιλεγμένα άρθρα και μελέτες στο elearning του μαθήματος
Additional bibliography for study
Clogg, R. (1988) Parties and Elections in Greece: The Search for Legitimacy, Duke University Press.
Ellinas,A.(2013)The rise of Golden Dawn:the new face of the far right in Greece. South European Society and Politics, 18(4), pp. 543–565
Featherstone,K.(2005) Introduction:“modernization” and the structural constraints of Greek politics. West European Politics, 28(2), pp. 223–241.
Gunther, R. (2005) Parties and electoral behaviour in Southern Europe. Comparative Politics, 37(3), pp. 253–275
Gunther,R.&Montero,J.R.(2001) The anchors of partisanship: acomparative analysis of voting behavior in four Southern European democracies, in: P.N. Diamandouros & R. Gunther (eds) Parties, Politics, and Democracy in the New Southern Europe , Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 83–152.
Karamichas, J. (2009) ‘The December 2008 Riots in Greece’, Social Movement Studies, vol. 8, no 3, pp. 289-293.
Rüdig, W. & Karyotis, G. (2013) ‘Who Protests in Greece? Mass Opposition to Austerity’, British Journal of Political Science, pp. 1-27.
Lyrintzis, Christos (2005). “The changing party system: stable democracy, contested modernization”, West European Politics, 28:2, 242-59.
Mavrogordatos, G. Th. (1983). ´Rise of the Green Sun: The Greek Election of 1981´, Centre of Contemporary Greek Studies, King’s College London, Occasional Paper I.
Stavrakakis, Y. & Katsambekis, G. (2014) ‘Left-wing Populism in the European Periphery: The Case of SYRIZA’, Journal of Political Ideologies, 19(2): 119-142.
Teperoglou, E. & Tsatsanis, E. (2014) ‘Dealignment, de-legitimation and the implosion of the two party system in Greece: the earthquake election of 6 May 2012’, Journal of Elections, Public Opinion & Parties, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 222–242.
Tsatsanis, E., Freire, A. & Tsirbas, Y. (2014). ‘The impact of the economic crisis on the ideological space in Portugal and Greece: a comparison of elites and voters’, South European Society and Politics, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 519–540.
Tsatsanis, Emmanouil and Eftichia Teperoglou. 2020. “Greece´s coalition governments: Power sharing in a majoritarian democracy.” In Coalition Government as a Reflection of a Nation’s Politics and Society: A Comparative Study of Parliamentary Parties and Cabinets in 12 Countries, edited by Matt Evans. London and New York: Routledge
Tsirbas, Y. (2015) ‘The January 2015 parliamentary election in Greece: government change, partial punishment and hesitant stabilisation’, South European Society and Politics, available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13608746.2015.1088428.
Verney, S. (2014) ‘Broken and can’t be fixed: the impact of the economic crisis on the Greek party system’, The International Spectator: Italian Journal of International Affairs,, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 18–35.
Τeperoglou, E., Tsatsanis, E. & Nicolacopoulos, E. (2015) ‘Habituating to the new normal in a post-earthquake party system: the 2014 European election in Greece’, South European Society and Politics, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 333–355.

Πρόκειται για μάθημα επιλογής που παραδίδεται στην αγγλική γλώσσα για τους φοιτητές του Τμήματος καθώς και για τους φοιτητές υπό το πρόγραμμα ΕRASMUS (τόσο του τμήματος Πολιτικών Επιστημών όσο και όλων των άλλων τμημάτων του ΑΠΘ).