The course starts with a general introduction to political science, covering different analytical approaches (e.g. systems approach, functional approach, power approach), decision-making and policy formation (e.g. Simon, Lindblom, Richardson, et al.), comparative government (e.g. the nation state, cleavages, forms of government), political socialization and political culture. The latter part of the course concentrates more heavily on the Icelandic political system, covering the main features of the development of the political system in the 19th and 20th centuries (e.g. nationalism, cleavages, major periods of the politics of independence and modern politics), the constitution, political parties and elections (e.g. development of the franchise and electoral system, participation, party system, organization, voting behaviour), the legislature (Althingi), and the executive (e.g. president, government and the coalition system, the bureaucracy, relations to interest organizations, policy-making and local government).

The course is intended to introduce students to different theories and subjects within international politics, with a particular emphasis on the changing nature of international politics after the end of the Cold War. The course begins by addressing the nature of the international system, the state and its role within the system. The basic theories of international politics are introduced, as are the main branches within the field, such as international political economy and international security. International organizations, such as the United Nations, and their role are discussed. The latter part of the course is dedicated to the issues of international politics and covers among other things the environment, the role of non-governmental organizations, human rights, and more.

In the course, students are:
1) introduced to the basic theories of international politics, providing them with the basis for understanding contemporary political events
2) trained in analyzing critically concepts and theories relating to globalizations
3) introduced to the relationship between international events and theories of international politics

The course covers the basics of reading, writing and researching that are essential to every political science student. The course prepares the student for tasks such as searching for sources and information in the library and on the internet, writing papers and assignments, citing sources, etc

This class introduces students to political issues and developments in the 20th century that helped shape present day politics. Issues covered in the class include negotiations that resulted in a sovereign statehood for Iceland in 1918; the development of the Icelandic party system; the electoral system and conflicts relating to it; the establishment of a republic in 1944; the Cod Wars and conflicts over the management of the fisheries; key conflicts on foreign policy including membership in NATO and EEA; factors influencing the formation and termination of coalition governments. Students are also introduced to the main characteristics of the Icelandic economy and the key macroeconomic tools used by governments in the past.

The course introduces economic approaches in politics including major theories in the field. It starts with an introduction to rational choice and economic theory, including the market model, market failures and the basic tools of public policy. In the second half of the course the focus is on political and administrative issues including government failures, voting, party competition and representative democracy.

This course addresses the main topics of gender and diversity studies in the light of critical multiculturalism and the diversity of modern societies. It explores the way in which social variables such as gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, disability, age and class differently affects people’s conditions and opportunities. It presents the main ideas of gender and diversity studies, such as gender, essentialism and social constructivism, and explores how social variables are interwoven into people’s lives. The emphasis is on how issues such as gender, multiculturalism, and diversity are related to Icelandic politics and society.

In this class students are introduced to the concept state and its manifold roles and types. This includes learning about the difference between democratic regimes and authoritarianism. Students also learn about the different ways in which democratic political systems are constituted and maintained. To this end students study the political systems and constitutional structures of several key states which include Britain, France, US, Russia, China and Nigeria. At the end of the class students will be able to describe the division of power between the head of state, the government and parliament in the countries studied. They will also be able to describe the main characteristics of their party systems, political culture and social cleavages that affect political unity, and differentiate between democratic and authoritarian regimes. They will also learn about factors contributing to political instability and political violence as well as about the interplay of politics with the economy.

Political Theory: Concepts and ideology is an introductory course addressed to first-year undergraduate students and furnishes students with a basic overview of the most important ideas and ideologies within the field of political theory. The course begins with a series of lectures on classical concepts in political theory, such as e.g., power, sovereignty, the state, citizenship. This introductory part is followed by a series of lectures on classical ideologies such as liberalism, conservatism, socialism, and nationalism as well as on more recent concepts and ideologies, including (but not limited to) feminism, human rights, multiculturalism and ecologism. The students will get training in reasoning and evaluating theories in the fields of political theory their place in contemporary politics. The course presupposes active student participation.

Data er increasingly important for political scientists, whether they are public servants, work in media or business, in social activities or research. Having data literacy and the ability to communicate quantitative information is, therefore, of fundamental importance for political scientists. In this course, students will gain an understanding of data and data analysis with the aim of making them confident and competent users of data. The main focus of the course will be on data visualization, with students being introduced to fundamental principles of how to communiate a variety of data visuallly. Students will gain hands on experience in working with common political science datasets and develop appropriate skills to find, work with, and communicate data with commonly used statistical software package.

The course provides a broad overview of the European integration process with regard to (a) historical and theoretical aspects; (b) the EU political system, its main institutions and decision-making processes; and (c) the EU’s most important policies/policy areas.

Political scientists collect a variety of quantitative data about individuals, countries, governments and many others. It is usually the goal of researchers to aqcuire general knowledge from this data how the world works. A very important tool to do so is inferential statistics, or statistical tests. In this introduction course in inferential statistics we will begin by covering the theoretical foundation of inferential statistics:  The normal curve, sampling distribution, central limit theorem, null hypothesis testing, Type 1 and 2 errors. Thereafter students will learn about specific statistical tests, gain experience in computing them in a statistical software and interpret the results. The primary tests covered will be t-test for one and two samples, chi-square, one-way and two-way ANOVA within and between groups including post-hoc comparisons.

This course is an introduction to how political scientists apply systematic methods to answer empirical research questions. The course covers the nature of the scientific method, alternative methodological approaches to political research, data collection techniques, and the most common research designs applied in political science. Students will  be introduced to a variety of research methods used in political science, including the experimental approach, statistical methods, case studies, interviews, content analysis, and the analysis of secondary data. Additionally, the course will cover the analysis of qualitative data, with students doing a class project based on a qualitative approach. Substantively, the course will include examples of research from major fields of political science, including from the study of international relations, institutions, political behavior, and public policy. The course will enable students be become critical consumers of  scientific research in political science and cognate fields, as well as providing them with skills which are applicable to a variety of employment careers pursued by students of political science.

The course deals with classical theory in the social sciences emphasizing the theoretical contributions of Karl Marx (1818-1883), Max Weber (1864-1920) and Emil Durkheim (1858-1917). On the one hand, the theories are examined with respect to their historical context, while on the other hand, their they are examined with respect to their impact on subsequent ideas and methods of the social sciences. Substantively, the course will emphasize Marx‘s, Weber‘s, and Durkheim‘s ideas on the emergence and main characteristics of modern societies and politics. The theories will be compared, their differing assumptions discussed, and major criticisms analyzed.  

Why do political parties emphasize certain issues? Why do parties and voters align themselves along ideologies, such as a left-right divide, or a liberal versus non-liberal divide? In this course we will answer these types of questions were we will, among other things, analyse what factors impact political behaviour of voters (e.g. electoral participation, what party they vote and protest participation) and their political attitudes. Party systems and different party types will be discussed, for example in terms of their organization, whether they are candidate centered or party centered, number of members and their policies. Questions will be raised about how easy it is for new parties to enter politics, whom or what groups parties represent and what is their role in modern democracies. We will discuss and analyse whether and how the structure of the society impacts the political behaviour of the public, party systems and political policies. The course will cover discussions about political cleavages, changes in the connection between political parties and voters and what are the main challenges which modern democracies are faced with.

This course on public policy has three parts: First, the introduction which focuses on two main areas: (a) theoretical background of public policy and the main theoretical approaches to explanatory analysis applied in social sciences, (b) competing views and interests considered regarding efficiency, equity, individual freedom and social cohesion when defining public policy objectives. Second, students will learn about policy issues in four different policy domains, i.e. climate change, health care, education and taxation. Third, the policy-making process will be studied with a particular focus on agenda-setting theories, i.e. how an issue gets onto the government agenda and what explains that sometimes an issue becomes realised but sometimes not, - and how various incentives and the public policy context affect policy implementation and outcomes.

Organized interest groups are an important element of politics that seek to influence the state and public decision making. The course looks into the role, power and methods used by interest organizations. It also looks at how these factors are shaped by the democratic context, the constitutional set-up of states and the tasks of governments. For these purposes students are introduced to theories on state power.. They also learn concepts and theories used by political scientists, to analyse state-societal relations. These include pluralism, elitism and corporatism; concepts that are also used by political scientists to study democracy and political power. Through comparisons and cases drawn from Iceland, Europe and the United States students seek to provide answers to the question of who rules, while also gaining an understanding of how democratic governments interact with interest organizations and the strategies of interest groups to influence policy outcomes.

This course introduces students to the dynamic and multifaceted field of security studies. It examines key questions central to the discipline: What is security? For whom is security intended? How is security defined and practiced? The focus of security studies centers around exploring these questions across various levels of analysis—individual, national, international, transnational, and global—as well as within distinct security domains, including political, military, economic, social, and environmental contexts.

1. Through theoretical frameworks and practical case studies, the course investigates how different approaches and levels of analysis shape our understanding of security challenges and solutions. Students will gain insights into both traditional and expanded notions of security, examining topics such as human security, cybersecurity, migration, climate change, and global health. By critically engaging with these dimensions, students will develop a deeper understanding of how security studies contribute to our practical knowledge and inform policies and strategies in addressing real-world challenges.

This is a basic course in public administration. Its aim is to provide students with insight into the problems of decision making and organising the public sector. The difference between the public sector and the private sector are discussed and the sense in which public administration is political in nature. The curriculum will be linked with the national and local administration in Iceland, where that applies.

Does political distrust impact electoral participation, and if so, does the impact depend on peoples’ age? What explains why some people are to the left in politics and others to the right? Are voters, which have a weak socio-economic status, more likely to support so-called populist parties or not? In this course the focus is on how political scientists test theories about causality using quantitative methods. Student will learn to form questions for questionnaires, regression analysis and its assumptions, and how to analyze experimental data. Students will be trained to use statistical methods on available data and to answer research questions about causal mechanism and causality. Students will gain understanding about the pros and cons of different research designs and how those relate to internal and external validity. Students will work on their own research project and analyze data. 

The course provides a broad overview of the European integration process with regard to (a) historical and theoretical aspects; (b) the EU political system, its main institutions and decision-making processes; and (c) the EU’s most important policies/policy areas.

The course deals with classical theory in the social sciences emphasizing the theoretical contributions of Karl Marx (1818-1883), Max Weber (1864-1920) and Emil Durkheim (1858-1917). On the one hand, the theories are examined with respect to their historical context, while on the other hand, their they are examined with respect to their impact on subsequent ideas and methods of the social sciences. Substantively, the course will emphasize Marx‘s, Weber‘s, and Durkheim‘s ideas on the emergence and main characteristics of modern societies and politics. The theories will be compared, their differing assumptions discussed, and major criticisms analyzed.  

Why do political parties emphasize certain issues? Why do parties and voters align themselves along ideologies, such as a left-right divide, or a liberal versus non-liberal divide? In this course we will answer these types of questions were we will, among other things, analyse what factors impact political behaviour of voters (e.g. electoral participation, what party they vote and protest participation) and their political attitudes. Party systems and different party types will be discussed, for example in terms of their organization, whether they are candidate centered or party centered, number of members and their policies. Questions will be raised about how easy it is for new parties to enter politics, whom or what groups parties represent and what is their role in modern democracies. We will discuss and analyse whether and how the structure of the society impacts the political behaviour of the public, party systems and political policies. The course will cover discussions about political cleavages, changes in the connection between political parties and voters and what are the main challenges which modern democracies are faced with.

This course on public policy has three parts: First, the introduction which focuses on two main areas: (a) theoretical background of public policy and the main theoretical approaches to explanatory analysis applied in social sciences, (b) competing views and interests considered regarding efficiency, equity, individual freedom and social cohesion when defining public policy objectives. Second, students will learn about policy issues in four different policy domains, i.e. climate change, health care, education and taxation. Third, the policy-making process will be studied with a particular focus on agenda-setting theories, i.e. how an issue gets onto the government agenda and what explains that sometimes an issue becomes realised but sometimes not, - and how various incentives and the public policy context affect policy implementation and outcomes.

The course is intended to introduce students to hybrid threats and hybrid warfare, that are increasingly prominent in security debates. Hybrid warfare has been utilized in war and conflict throughout history – to undermine adversaries, through disinformation and subversion. Modern technology and complex society have radically altered the scope and ease by which hybrid warfare can be employed. Different perpetrators can now pose such threats and engage in such warfare in more varied ways at less cost and risk.

Historical development will be introduced and current divergence, regarding hybrid warfare in the world, put into context of relevant theories of international relations. The main actors, their methods, and possible consequences will be studied, e.g., a serious threat to democracy. Also, the responses and resources brought to bear will be addressed, the problems that states and societies may find in planning their response and defence. Responses and remedies to hybrid threats will be addressed, the potential problems that may exist, as attacks and actions tend to undermine cohesion and promote fragmentation – which can further impede response.

The main objective of the course is to provide students with theoretic and practical tools to analyze the challenges, threats, and opportunities of constructing peace in the aftermath of war. What happens after the last shot is fired until sustainable peace is achieved? Through case-study analysis students will be able to identify and understand different stakeholders and spoilers of peacebuilding efforts as well as the lessons learned in the last 30 years of conflict intervention. Students will analyze why constructing a sustainable peace after armed conflict has proven to be so complex, despite the robust budgets and deployments, or the inclusion of components such as transitional justice, security sector reform, and development. Among the peace process that will be analyzed in class: South Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Timor Leste, Philippines, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, Mozambique, DR Congo, and Colombia

The aim of this course is to study the behavior and role of small states in the international system. The course deals with questions such as: What is a small state? What are the main constrains and opportunities of small states? Do small states behave differently in the international community from larger ones? The course offers an introduction to the literature on the state, the international system and small-state studies. The main emphasis, however, is on internal and external opportunities and constraints facing small states, for example how they are affected by and have responded to globalization, new security threats and the process of European integration. Special attention is devoted to Iceland and its reactions to economic crises and security threats. The course will also examine Iceland´s relations with the United States, China, Russia and the Nordic states, and its engagement with the European Union.

The aim of this course is to study strategies of small states to protect their interests and have a say in the international system. The course builds on the small state literature and examines whether small states tend to seek shelter, hedge, or hide in the international system. The focus is on the ability of small states to establish constructive relations with larger states and their power potential in international organizations. Special attention will be paid to current affairs and how a variety of small European states have been affected by and responded to the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The course will analyse crisis management in small states and how small states have responded to external crises, such as international economic crises and pandemics. The course examines small states’ methods to influence the day-to-day decision-making in the European Union. It studies the utilization of soft power by the smaller states, such as how small states use participation in the Eurovision Song Contest to enhance their international image. The course focus specially on small European states, in particular the five Nordic states. The course brings together some of the leading scholars in the field of small state studies and leadership studies by providing students with access to an online edX course on leadership in small states. The online edX course will supplement discussion in the classroom and cover in greater depth Small State Leadership in Public Administration and Governance; Small State Leadership in Foreign and Security Policy; Small State Leadership in Gender Policy; and Small State Leadership in International Diplomacy.

This course will provide an insight into recent and ongoing conflict in the world through the lens of peace and conflict studies. It starts with an introduction to the field of peace and conflict studies, setting the stage for an analysis of recent and ongoing conflicts with the help of guest lecturers with expertise in the relevant regions. The course concludes with an introduction to the field of conflict resolution and mediation. Likely topics will include Ukraine, Israel-Palestine, and Sudan, to name a few.

The workshop addresses common arrangements for the writing of BA-theses, the shaping of research questions, communication with advisors, the rights and obligations of students in the process of writing. Other practical issues on the writing and completion of BA-theses are addressed. Students attempt the operationalization and shaping of their research questions ins small groups and conclude the workshop by applying for an advisor, if they have not done so already.

Organized interest groups are an important element of politics that seek to influence the state and public decision making. The course looks into the role, power and methods used by interest organizations. It also looks at how these factors are shaped by the democratic context, the constitutional set-up of states and the tasks of governments. For these purposes students are introduced to theories on state power.. They also learn concepts and theories used by political scientists, to analyse state-societal relations. These include pluralism, elitism and corporatism; concepts that are also used by political scientists to study democracy and political power. Through comparisons and cases drawn from Iceland, Europe and the United States students seek to provide answers to the question of who rules, while also gaining an understanding of how democratic governments interact with interest organizations and the strategies of interest groups to influence policy outcomes.

This course introduces students to the dynamic and multifaceted field of security studies. It examines key questions central to the discipline: What is security? For whom is security intended? How is security defined and practiced? The focus of security studies centers around exploring these questions across various levels of analysis—individual, national, international, transnational, and global—as well as within distinct security domains, including political, military, economic, social, and environmental contexts.

1. Through theoretical frameworks and practical case studies, the course investigates how different approaches and levels of analysis shape our understanding of security challenges and solutions. Students will gain insights into both traditional and expanded notions of security, examining topics such as human security, cybersecurity, migration, climate change, and global health. By critically engaging with these dimensions, students will develop a deeper understanding of how security studies contribute to our practical knowledge and inform policies and strategies in addressing real-world challenges.

This is a basic course in public administration. Its aim is to provide students with insight into the problems of decision making and organising the public sector. The difference between the public sector and the private sector are discussed and the sense in which public administration is political in nature. The curriculum will be linked with the national and local administration in Iceland, where that applies.

The primary goal of the course is to give students the understanding and skills necessary to manage and even create their own career. In the course, students will have the opportunity to prepare for the changes that occur upon graduation and the task of finding employment or exploring the possibility of further education begins. The goal is for students to explore in what way their degree in political science has contributed to their career development and plan how they will apply their knowledge, skills, and competencies on the labour market. The course will introduce ways for students to increase their employability and what factors they should keep in mind when preparing for their career.

The course is applied in nature, with students given the opportunity to translate knowledge and competencies they have gained in political science to the applied environment of the labor market. Coursework is intended to increase self knowledge and increase the employability of students when they finish their degree with an emphasis on the skills to creatively and critically connect academic and applied knowledge to deal with the obstacles that they will face in their path to a successful and satisfying career.

The main objective of the course is to provide students with theoretic and practical tools to analyze the causes and outcomes of the main conflicts around the world in the last 30 years. Through case-study analysis, students will be able to identify and analyze different types of armed conflicts, the role of state and non-state actors involved, as well as conflict-resolution/peacebuilding initiatives.

Additionally the course assessess the effectiveness of UN interventions to counter the so called New Wars and changes in warfare (mercenaries, cyberwarfare).

Conflicts that may be analyzed in class include the Balkans, Russia‘s intervention in Ukraine, the war against terrorism in the Sahel, Somalia, China‘s expansion in the South China Sea, Philippines, Myanmar, Iraq, Libya, the rise of ISIS, and  Colombia

The workshop addresses common arrangements for the writing of BA-theses, the shaping of research questions, communication with advisors, the rights and obligations of students in the process of writing. Other practical issues on the writing and completion of BA-theses are addressed. Students attempt the operationalization and shaping of their research questions ins small groups and conclude the workshop by applying for an advisor, if they have not done so already.

BA Thesis.

BA Thesis.

BA Thesis.

The University of Iceland offers this transdisciplinary course for senior graduate students registered in all schools and disciplines across the University. The course is also open to students from all Aurora universities. The course combines online content, virtual sessions that take place over the semester, and a five-day capstone experience on-site at the university of Iceland.

Participants will gain insights into current and future challenges and learn about how these are being addressed. Participants will work in collaborative interdisciplinary teams under the guidance of experienced industry and academic leaders to apply their new knowledge toward developing their own recommendations for tackling immediate and foreseeable challenges. Students will gain a deeper understanding of their own strengths as well as developing methods and approaches for innovative thinking under the guidance of experienced teachers.

The course incorporates the approach of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which is part of the Aurora Competency Framework. This concept includes both social entrepreneurship, a way to achieve social change by employing entrepreneurial principles with or without the formation of new organizations, and social innovation, a process of developing and deploying effective solutions to challenging and often systemic social and environmental issues in support of social progress.

The course relies on brief assignments worked on during the virtual sessions, intense group work on the days of the on-site capstone session, and preparation of final deliverable, which is presented on the final day of the on-site session.

The course is 6 ECTS credits. Successful completion of the course depends on completion of the preparatory work, participation in the group work, and completion of a satisfactory final project and deliverable during the on-site capstone session.

It could be argued that the current political landscape is far from simple. When discussing contemporary politics, it is sometimes argued that the political system is broken and that politicians are not trustworthy because they don't practice what they preach. Not everyone agrees with this assessment and consider inconsistency to be a part and parcel of politics. Others, furthermore, think that moralism is not a virtue but rather something that undermines politics and political compromises. Accordingly, different groups commonly struggle to engage in dialogue without resorting to moral judgments.  

Furthermore, groups that want to undermine women’s rights and the rights of minorities have gathered momentum, and the idea of the strong man in politics seem increasingly popular. It appears that liberal democracy is under threat. Therefore, it is not surprising that people have started to ask: “What exactly is going on? Has democracy got any future?” 

In the course we will focus on political theories and ideas, such as conservatism, socialism, authoritarianism and political moralism, that allow us better understand currents trends in politics. In addition, the course will look into real examples from contemporary politics. The course material will feature works from renowned political scientists and thinkers who have extensively explored these subjects.   

Students will be trained in critical reasoning and analysis of contentious issues to provide a comprehensive understanding of these dynamics. The course is student-centric and will therefore involve active student participation.

The aim of this course is to examine fake news, information disorder and politics. Different concepts and definitions of fake news, as well as how they have developed over time, will be analyzed and discussed. What are the possible consequences of fake news and information disorder and to what extent has false and misleading information been used as a strategic tool in political campaigns?

The course examines how false and misleading information is spread, specifically via social media, by whom and for what purposes, and how governments have responded to an increase in false and misleading information. In addition to this, the course examines how third parties have attempted to use fake news to impact elections and public opinion in modern democracies.

This course will also cover the main challenges politicians face today with changes in the media and communication landscape, where the speed and scale of information often limits the time for contemplation and strategies to respond. At the same time, the boundaries between private and public life have been blurred, and news about what politicians say and do can spread to a great number of people in a very short amount of time.

This course examines how political information spreads through the media and what this information dissemination means for our understanding of politics. The course combines theoretical insights and empirical information from the fields of media studies, political science and journalism. Topics covered in the course include digital politics and communication,  how politicians and political parties use social media platforms, the crisis of politics and media in established democracies, mass media and the news production process, political parties and political marketing, election campaigns and politics as entertainment. Various case studies will be used to shed light on the topics under investigation, including how wars are depicted on social media, media reports concerning the Brexit referendum, how Donald Trump has used social media in his communication with the world, media coverage of COVID-19 and recent examples from Icelandic politics. Much of the material for this module is highly contemporary so students are encouraged to maintain an awareness of current developments in political communication through diverse news outlets.

Legislatures play an important role in democracies. They have legislative powers and sometimes governments also derive their powers from parliamentary majorities, which blurs the lines between the legislative and executive branches in such states. In addition, parliaments have an oversight role and serve as a forum for debates and the exchange of new ideas. Legislators represent voters and serve their interests, while at the same time being leaders in public policymaking and public debates. In the course, students will learn about the multifaceted roles of legislatures; the nature of representation and about the functioning of Alþingi, the parliament of Iceland. In the latter half of the course, attention is turned to recent democratic innovations, intended to involve citizens more directly into decision-making processes. Citizens assemblies and deliberative polls are examples of such undertakings. Among questions that are raised in the course are whether such democratic innovations have been successful and whether they can replace traditional representative democracy. The course combines theories and a practical approach to the subject field, preparing students for careers within legislatures, municipalities, NGO´s etc.

The course covers the institutions of American government: The U.S. constitution, congress, the judicial branch, the federal system and the states. There is also an emphasis on political parties, interests groups, elections and electoral behavior. Special emphasis is on the American presidency and how it has changed since the presidency of George Washington. The course will examine how the president has used his powers, especially in foreign affairs.

A point will be made to attempt to answer the following questions. Is big always more beautiful? How do national politics affect outcomes in local elections?  Has the local administration the strength and professional ability to deliver? Are “professional” mayors in anyway more capable than politically appointed mayors? Are there any reforms on the local government level in the foreseeable future?

The course is intended to introduce students to Icelandic local government. An overview of the principal functions and responsibilities of the Icelandic local government system will be given. Local politics, administration, democracy and legal aspects will be addressed during the course. 

A comparative assessment will be made of the Icelandic local government system and local government systems in Western Europe.  At last an overview of local government studies will be given.

This course will familiarize students with empirical and theoretical accounts of why, how and under what conditions collective non-state actors decide to employ terrorist violence. It will address the fundamental logic and reasons behind terrorism and how governments can counter the threat of terrorism and build successful counterterrorism strategies. The module’s emphasis lies on the principled interaction between terrorist organizations and the state, rather than the specific individuals involved forming a terrorist group. The module addresses briefly the history of terrorism; the four waves of terrorism, different trends and tactics and development of terrorist groups. We will look at how different political systems influence or prevent terrorism. Then terrorism will be put into context with decolonisation, foreign policy and civil wars with a special emphasis on understanding different theories of terrorism and applying them to modern terrorism.

This course introduces students to research on political economy with an emphasis on how the preferences of individuals and groups are transformed into public policies in democracies.We begin with the foundations of rational choice theories as they apply to voting, majority rule, party competition and collective action. Then we go on to analyze some of the key political institutions through which preferences are aggregated in democracies and, in particular, how they can shape incentives and policy outcomes. We will focus on two broad classes of outcomes: Why the size of the welfare state differs between democracies and why some states are economically more successful than others.

This course will serve as an introduction to the People’s Republic of China as a foreign policy actor on both regional (Asia-Pacific) and international levels. Beijing’s global interests will be examined first from an historical viewpoint, examining the evolution of the country’s external political concerns from the early and later Maoist eras through the Dengist reforms and the end of the cold war, to the current policies of Xi Jinping. The course will detail the main domestic actors responsible for Chinese foreign policymaking, including the Politburo Standing Committee, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Commerce, and the changing structure of the People’s Liberation Army and its main branches. The country’s impact on the emerging global economy, (including via the Belt and Road initiative), environmental cooperation, and legal regimes will also be assessed. 

Using Western and Chinese theoretical and empirical approaches to foreign policy studies, key case studies in China’s foreign affairs will be addressed, including relations with the United States and Japan, complex ties with Europe, and growing security concerns in East Asia, including maritime disputes in Western Pacific. 

The course discusses the philosophical and theoretical foundations of gender studies, and the critical and interdisciplinary content of the field. The representation and meaning of sex and gender in language, culture, history, science, and society is explored. The analytical perspective of the field is presented, as is its relationship with methodology. Students are trained in applying theoretical concepts and methods independently and critically.

Teaching Arrangement: The course is based on flipped learning, which means that all lectures will be available on Canvas. On-campus and distance students attend weekly discussion sessions at the university or on Teams, and online students participate in weekly discussions on Canvas.

Politics are about interactions between people, and as such, inevitably linked to psychology as it is the discipline of people's cognition, motivation, and behavior. In this course we will explore both how psychological factors impact political behavior as well as how political systems may impact people's cognition, emotion, and behavior. We will cover both classic and recent theories in political psychology. Emphasis will be on the following topics: Introduction to political psychology, personality and politics, media and the perception of politicians, ideology and political attitudes, emotions and politics, decision making, intergroup relations, prejudice and violence. Attendance is mandatory and active class participation is required.

The goal of the seven day field trip to Brussels is to learn about the organization and the activities of NATO, EFTA, ESA, EU, and the Icelandic Embassy. Politica, the political science students' association, organizes the field trip in agreement with the course supervisor.

This is an introductory course that sheds light on the history of LGBTQI people in Iceland, their experiences, movement, and culture. The history is placed in an international context and the main milestones in their fight for human rights are addressed, as are their legal rights. Important aspects of socialization are addressed, such as the forming of one’s identity and the development of visibility, relationships with families of origin and the search for one’s own family of choice. The difference between lesbian and gay studies and queer studies is addressed and theories on the shaping of sex, gender, and gender trouble are reviewed. The discourse between LGBTQ people and social institutions are covered, as is their condition and quality of life. The role of sexuality in cultural representations is examined, exemplified in how the reality of LGBTQI appears in arts and culture. 

The aim of the visit is to gain first hand knowledge of institutions and actors in the international system. The headquarters of the U.N. and the World Bank will be visited to learn about the role and activities of Iceland within the organizations. In addition the White House, and the Icelandic Embassy in D.C. will be visited in addition to other embassies and institutions. The visits introduce the institutions and their activities to the students from different points of view with the aim of aiding the students understanding of how the institutions function and how states' interestes are mediated within them. The field trip will offer the students a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the scholarly study of these institutions and how the function from a practical perspective.

The course covers the growing influence man has had on his natural environment, the political reaction to that development and the opposing views involved. The ideological basis of Environmental politics and its sociological background will be analysed through the lense of political theories. The growth of environmental grassroot movements and 'green' parties will be discussed as well as the growing emphasis on environmental issues in international politics. The main public policy measures to tackle environmental issues will be explored and conflicting viewpoints analysed. Additionally, the course covers international cooperation and international agreements on environmental issues.

The course offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of forced migration, tackling historical, political, and gendered aspects of the issue. Causes for why people flee their homes, such as societal collapse, wars, persecutions and an unstable economic situation, will be discussed. Special attention will be paid to refugees in Europe since the Second World War. The course will also study states’ responsibilities vis-à-vis refugees, taking into account international laws and regulations, as well responses and capabilities of European states to handle the current flow of refugees. The course will examine the concept of border control and its development in Europe, the Schengen cooperation, and Iceland’s membership of Schengen. Iceland’s policy on refugee matters will also be debated from a historical and social perspective, exploring future prospects of its development. The origin of the term refugee will be studied as well as international laws on the rights of refugees. Different roles that states, international organisations and NGO’s play are examined. The course will also explore the largest groups of refugees in the world today, e.g. women in Latin America, Muslim Rohingya people in SE-Asia and Syrians. Different causes underlying forced migration in these different parts of the world are discussed and put into perspective.

The aim of this unit are to provide a sound understanding of the principles of professional public relations, introduce specialized communication concepts and skills used in contemporary public relations practice, highlight the importance of strategic communications and crisis management and the role of social media in public relations.

The course deals with Russian government and and govenmental institutions and their develoment since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Discussion will focus on institutional transformation from Soviet times and until today and manifestations of power in the past and now. The role of the Russian presidency will be discussed, the development and influence of the Russian media, and how the interaction of political players with representatives of strong interest groups continuously influence and undermine political discourse. The rise of nationalism will be explored, the role of the orthodox church, active and passive political opposition and the growing isolation of Russia from the West. Finally Russia’s Soviet legacies will be examined and how discursive formations of the past are recycled and reproduced in contemporary dicourse.

Contrary to what might be expected from contemporary political discourse, fear, conspiracy theories and mistrust have characterized politics since time immemorial. In this course, we explore these phenomena from the interdisciplinary perspective of political psychology with support from other related disciplines. Initially, we will discuss trust in politics, politicians and citizens as an important but complicated concept within politics. We reflect on the byproducts of mistrust, such as the polarization of social groups and political participation. Next, students learn about the psychology of fear and its known effects on people's beliefs. The psychology of conspiracy theories, their causes and consequences for political behavior and attitudes will also be discussed.

Assignment.

Assignment.

Assignment.

The course starts with a general introduction to political science, covering different analytical approaches (e.g. systems approach, functional approach, power approach), decision-making and policy formation (e.g. Simon, Lindblom, Richardson, et al.), comparative government (e.g. the nation state, cleavages, forms of government), political socialization and political culture. The latter part of the course concentrates more heavily on the Icelandic political system, covering the main features of the development of the political system in the 19th and 20th centuries (e.g. nationalism, cleavages, major periods of the politics of independence and modern politics), the constitution, political parties and elections (e.g. development of the franchise and electoral system, participation, party system, organization, voting behaviour), the legislature (Althingi), and the executive (e.g. president, government and the coalition system, the bureaucracy, relations to interest organizations, policy-making and local government).

The course is intended to introduce students to different theories and subjects within international politics, with a particular emphasis on the changing nature of international politics after the end of the Cold War. The course begins by addressing the nature of the international system, the state and its role within the system. The basic theories of international politics are introduced, as are the main branches within the field, such as international political economy and international security. International organizations, such as the United Nations, and their role are discussed. The latter part of the course is dedicated to the issues of international politics and covers among other things the environment, the role of non-governmental organizations, human rights, and more.

In the course, students are:
1) introduced to the basic theories of international politics, providing them with the basis for understanding contemporary political events
2) trained in analyzing critically concepts and theories relating to globalizations
3) introduced to the relationship between international events and theories of international politics

The course covers the basics of reading, writing and researching that are essential to every political science student. The course prepares the student for tasks such as searching for sources and information in the library and on the internet, writing papers and assignments, citing sources, etc

This class introduces students to political issues and developments in the 20th century that helped shape present day politics. Issues covered in the class include negotiations that resulted in a sovereign statehood for Iceland in 1918; the development of the Icelandic party system; the electoral system and conflicts relating to it; the establishment of a republic in 1944; the Cod Wars and conflicts over the management of the fisheries; key conflicts on foreign policy including membership in NATO and EEA; factors influencing the formation and termination of coalition governments. Students are also introduced to the main characteristics of the Icelandic economy and the key macroeconomic tools used by governments in the past.

The course introduces economic approaches in politics including major theories in the field. It starts with an introduction to rational choice and economic theory, including the market model, market failures and the basic tools of public policy. In the second half of the course the focus is on political and administrative issues including government failures, voting, party competition and representative democracy.

This course addresses the main topics of gender and diversity studies in the light of critical multiculturalism and the diversity of modern societies. It explores the way in which social variables such as gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, disability, age and class differently affects people’s conditions and opportunities. It presents the main ideas of gender and diversity studies, such as gender, essentialism and social constructivism, and explores how social variables are interwoven into people’s lives. The emphasis is on how issues such as gender, multiculturalism, and diversity are related to Icelandic politics and society.

In this class students are introduced to the concept state and its manifold roles and types. This includes learning about the difference between democratic regimes and authoritarianism. Students also learn about the different ways in which democratic political systems are constituted and maintained. To this end students study the political systems and constitutional structures of several key states which include Britain, France, US, Russia, China and Nigeria. At the end of the class students will be able to describe the division of power between the head of state, the government and parliament in the countries studied. They will also be able to describe the main characteristics of their party systems, political culture and social cleavages that affect political unity, and differentiate between democratic and authoritarian regimes. They will also learn about factors contributing to political instability and political violence as well as about the interplay of politics with the economy.

Political Theory: Concepts and ideology is an introductory course addressed to first-year undergraduate students and furnishes students with a basic overview of the most important ideas and ideologies within the field of political theory. The course begins with a series of lectures on classical concepts in political theory, such as e.g., power, sovereignty, the state, citizenship. This introductory part is followed by a series of lectures on classical ideologies such as liberalism, conservatism, socialism, and nationalism as well as on more recent concepts and ideologies, including (but not limited to) feminism, human rights, multiculturalism and ecologism. The students will get training in reasoning and evaluating theories in the fields of political theory their place in contemporary politics. The course presupposes active student participation.

Data er increasingly important for political scientists, whether they are public servants, work in media or business, in social activities or research. Having data literacy and the ability to communicate quantitative information is, therefore, of fundamental importance for political scientists. In this course, students will gain an understanding of data and data analysis with the aim of making them confident and competent users of data. The main focus of the course will be on data visualization, with students being introduced to fundamental principles of how to communiate a variety of data visuallly. Students will gain hands on experience in working with common political science datasets and develop appropriate skills to find, work with, and communicate data with commonly used statistical software package.

The course provides a broad overview of the European integration process with regard to (a) historical and theoretical aspects; (b) the EU political system, its main institutions and decision-making processes; and (c) the EU’s most important policies/policy areas.

Political scientists collect a variety of quantitative data about individuals, countries, governments and many others. It is usually the goal of researchers to aqcuire general knowledge from this data how the world works. A very important tool to do so is inferential statistics, or statistical tests. In this introduction course in inferential statistics we will begin by covering the theoretical foundation of inferential statistics:  The normal curve, sampling distribution, central limit theorem, null hypothesis testing, Type 1 and 2 errors. Thereafter students will learn about specific statistical tests, gain experience in computing them in a statistical software and interpret the results. The primary tests covered will be t-test for one and two samples, chi-square, one-way and two-way ANOVA within and between groups including post-hoc comparisons.

This course is an introduction to how political scientists apply systematic methods to answer empirical research questions. The course covers the nature of the scientific method, alternative methodological approaches to political research, data collection techniques, and the most common research designs applied in political science. Students will  be introduced to a variety of research methods used in political science, including the experimental approach, statistical methods, case studies, interviews, content analysis, and the analysis of secondary data. Additionally, the course will cover the analysis of qualitative data, with students doing a class project based on a qualitative approach. Substantively, the course will include examples of research from major fields of political science, including from the study of international relations, institutions, political behavior, and public policy. The course will enable students be become critical consumers of  scientific research in political science and cognate fields, as well as providing them with skills which are applicable to a variety of employment careers pursued by students of political science.

The course deals with classical theory in the social sciences emphasizing the theoretical contributions of Karl Marx (1818-1883), Max Weber (1864-1920) and Emil Durkheim (1858-1917). On the one hand, the theories are examined with respect to their historical context, while on the other hand, their they are examined with respect to their impact on subsequent ideas and methods of the social sciences. Substantively, the course will emphasize Marx‘s, Weber‘s, and Durkheim‘s ideas on the emergence and main characteristics of modern societies and politics. The theories will be compared, their differing assumptions discussed, and major criticisms analyzed.  

Why do political parties emphasize certain issues? Why do parties and voters align themselves along ideologies, such as a left-right divide, or a liberal versus non-liberal divide? In this course we will answer these types of questions were we will, among other things, analyse what factors impact political behaviour of voters (e.g. electoral participation, what party they vote and protest participation) and their political attitudes. Party systems and different party types will be discussed, for example in terms of their organization, whether they are candidate centered or party centered, number of members and their policies. Questions will be raised about how easy it is for new parties to enter politics, whom or what groups parties represent and what is their role in modern democracies. We will discuss and analyse whether and how the structure of the society impacts the political behaviour of the public, party systems and political policies. The course will cover discussions about political cleavages, changes in the connection between political parties and voters and what are the main challenges which modern democracies are faced with.

This course on public policy has three parts: First, the introduction which focuses on two main areas: (a) theoretical background of public policy and the main theoretical approaches to explanatory analysis applied in social sciences, (b) competing views and interests considered regarding efficiency, equity, individual freedom and social cohesion when defining public policy objectives. Second, students will learn about policy issues in four different policy domains, i.e. climate change, health care, education and taxation. Third, the policy-making process will be studied with a particular focus on agenda-setting theories, i.e. how an issue gets onto the government agenda and what explains that sometimes an issue becomes realised but sometimes not, - and how various incentives and the public policy context affect policy implementation and outcomes.

Organized interest groups are an important element of politics that seek to influence the state and public decision making. The course looks into the role, power and methods used by interest organizations. It also looks at how these factors are shaped by the democratic context, the constitutional set-up of states and the tasks of governments. For these purposes students are introduced to theories on state power.. They also learn concepts and theories used by political scientists, to analyse state-societal relations. These include pluralism, elitism and corporatism; concepts that are also used by political scientists to study democracy and political power. Through comparisons and cases drawn from Iceland, Europe and the United States students seek to provide answers to the question of who rules, while also gaining an understanding of how democratic governments interact with interest organizations and the strategies of interest groups to influence policy outcomes.

This course introduces students to the dynamic and multifaceted field of security studies. It examines key questions central to the discipline: What is security? For whom is security intended? How is security defined and practiced? The focus of security studies centers around exploring these questions across various levels of analysis—individual, national, international, transnational, and global—as well as within distinct security domains, including political, military, economic, social, and environmental contexts.

1. Through theoretical frameworks and practical case studies, the course investigates how different approaches and levels of analysis shape our understanding of security challenges and solutions. Students will gain insights into both traditional and expanded notions of security, examining topics such as human security, cybersecurity, migration, climate change, and global health. By critically engaging with these dimensions, students will develop a deeper understanding of how security studies contribute to our practical knowledge and inform policies and strategies in addressing real-world challenges.

This is a basic course in public administration. Its aim is to provide students with insight into the problems of decision making and organising the public sector. The difference between the public sector and the private sector are discussed and the sense in which public administration is political in nature. The curriculum will be linked with the national and local administration in Iceland, where that applies.

Does political distrust impact electoral participation, and if so, does the impact depend on peoples’ age? What explains why some people are to the left in politics and others to the right? Are voters, which have a weak socio-economic status, more likely to support so-called populist parties or not? In this course the focus is on how political scientists test theories about causality using quantitative methods. Student will learn to form questions for questionnaires, regression analysis and its assumptions, and how to analyze experimental data. Students will be trained to use statistical methods on available data and to answer research questions about causal mechanism and causality. Students will gain understanding about the pros and cons of different research designs and how those relate to internal and external validity. Students will work on their own research project and analyze data. 

The course provides a broad overview of the European integration process with regard to (a) historical and theoretical aspects; (b) the EU political system, its main institutions and decision-making processes; and (c) the EU’s most important policies/policy areas.

The course deals with classical theory in the social sciences emphasizing the theoretical contributions of Karl Marx (1818-1883), Max Weber (1864-1920) and Emil Durkheim (1858-1917). On the one hand, the theories are examined with respect to their historical context, while on the other hand, their they are examined with respect to their impact on subsequent ideas and methods of the social sciences. Substantively, the course will emphasize Marx‘s, Weber‘s, and Durkheim‘s ideas on the emergence and main characteristics of modern societies and politics. The theories will be compared, their differing assumptions discussed, and major criticisms analyzed.  

Why do political parties emphasize certain issues? Why do parties and voters align themselves along ideologies, such as a left-right divide, or a liberal versus non-liberal divide? In this course we will answer these types of questions were we will, among other things, analyse what factors impact political behaviour of voters (e.g. electoral participation, what party they vote and protest participation) and their political attitudes. Party systems and different party types will be discussed, for example in terms of their organization, whether they are candidate centered or party centered, number of members and their policies. Questions will be raised about how easy it is for new parties to enter politics, whom or what groups parties represent and what is their role in modern democracies. We will discuss and analyse whether and how the structure of the society impacts the political behaviour of the public, party systems and political policies. The course will cover discussions about political cleavages, changes in the connection between political parties and voters and what are the main challenges which modern democracies are faced with.

This course on public policy has three parts: First, the introduction which focuses on two main areas: (a) theoretical background of public policy and the main theoretical approaches to explanatory analysis applied in social sciences, (b) competing views and interests considered regarding efficiency, equity, individual freedom and social cohesion when defining public policy objectives. Second, students will learn about policy issues in four different policy domains, i.e. climate change, health care, education and taxation. Third, the policy-making process will be studied with a particular focus on agenda-setting theories, i.e. how an issue gets onto the government agenda and what explains that sometimes an issue becomes realised but sometimes not, - and how various incentives and the public policy context affect policy implementation and outcomes.

The course is intended to introduce students to hybrid threats and hybrid warfare, that are increasingly prominent in security debates. Hybrid warfare has been utilized in war and conflict throughout history – to undermine adversaries, through disinformation and subversion. Modern technology and complex society have radically altered the scope and ease by which hybrid warfare can be employed. Different perpetrators can now pose such threats and engage in such warfare in more varied ways at less cost and risk.

Historical development will be introduced and current divergence, regarding hybrid warfare in the world, put into context of relevant theories of international relations. The main actors, their methods, and possible consequences will be studied, e.g., a serious threat to democracy. Also, the responses and resources brought to bear will be addressed, the problems that states and societies may find in planning their response and defence. Responses and remedies to hybrid threats will be addressed, the potential problems that may exist, as attacks and actions tend to undermine cohesion and promote fragmentation – which can further impede response.

The main objective of the course is to provide students with theoretic and practical tools to analyze the challenges, threats, and opportunities of constructing peace in the aftermath of war. What happens after the last shot is fired until sustainable peace is achieved? Through case-study analysis students will be able to identify and understand different stakeholders and spoilers of peacebuilding efforts as well as the lessons learned in the last 30 years of conflict intervention. Students will analyze why constructing a sustainable peace after armed conflict has proven to be so complex, despite the robust budgets and deployments, or the inclusion of components such as transitional justice, security sector reform, and development. Among the peace process that will be analyzed in class: South Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Timor Leste, Philippines, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, Mozambique, DR Congo, and Colombia

The aim of this course is to study the behavior and role of small states in the international system. The course deals with questions such as: What is a small state? What are the main constrains and opportunities of small states? Do small states behave differently in the international community from larger ones? The course offers an introduction to the literature on the state, the international system and small-state studies. The main emphasis, however, is on internal and external opportunities and constraints facing small states, for example how they are affected by and have responded to globalization, new security threats and the process of European integration. Special attention is devoted to Iceland and its reactions to economic crises and security threats. The course will also examine Iceland´s relations with the United States, China, Russia and the Nordic states, and its engagement with the European Union.

The aim of this course is to study strategies of small states to protect their interests and have a say in the international system. The course builds on the small state literature and examines whether small states tend to seek shelter, hedge, or hide in the international system. The focus is on the ability of small states to establish constructive relations with larger states and their power potential in international organizations. Special attention will be paid to current affairs and how a variety of small European states have been affected by and responded to the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The course will analyse crisis management in small states and how small states have responded to external crises, such as international economic crises and pandemics. The course examines small states’ methods to influence the day-to-day decision-making in the European Union. It studies the utilization of soft power by the smaller states, such as how small states use participation in the Eurovision Song Contest to enhance their international image. The course focus specially on small European states, in particular the five Nordic states. The course brings together some of the leading scholars in the field of small state studies and leadership studies by providing students with access to an online edX course on leadership in small states. The online edX course will supplement discussion in the classroom and cover in greater depth Small State Leadership in Public Administration and Governance; Small State Leadership in Foreign and Security Policy; Small State Leadership in Gender Policy; and Small State Leadership in International Diplomacy.

This course will provide an insight into recent and ongoing conflict in the world through the lens of peace and conflict studies. It starts with an introduction to the field of peace and conflict studies, setting the stage for an analysis of recent and ongoing conflicts with the help of guest lecturers with expertise in the relevant regions. The course concludes with an introduction to the field of conflict resolution and mediation. Likely topics will include Ukraine, Israel-Palestine, and Sudan, to name a few.

The workshop addresses common arrangements for the writing of BA-theses, the shaping of research questions, communication with advisors, the rights and obligations of students in the process of writing. Other practical issues on the writing and completion of BA-theses are addressed. Students attempt the operationalization and shaping of their research questions ins small groups and conclude the workshop by applying for an advisor, if they have not done so already.

Organized interest groups are an important element of politics that seek to influence the state and public decision making. The course looks into the role, power and methods used by interest organizations. It also looks at how these factors are shaped by the democratic context, the constitutional set-up of states and the tasks of governments. For these purposes students are introduced to theories on state power.. They also learn concepts and theories used by political scientists, to analyse state-societal relations. These include pluralism, elitism and corporatism; concepts that are also used by political scientists to study democracy and political power. Through comparisons and cases drawn from Iceland, Europe and the United States students seek to provide answers to the question of who rules, while also gaining an understanding of how democratic governments interact with interest organizations and the strategies of interest groups to influence policy outcomes.

This course introduces students to the dynamic and multifaceted field of security studies. It examines key questions central to the discipline: What is security? For whom is security intended? How is security defined and practiced? The focus of security studies centers around exploring these questions across various levels of analysis—individual, national, international, transnational, and global—as well as within distinct security domains, including political, military, economic, social, and environmental contexts.

1. Through theoretical frameworks and practical case studies, the course investigates how different approaches and levels of analysis shape our understanding of security challenges and solutions. Students will gain insights into both traditional and expanded notions of security, examining topics such as human security, cybersecurity, migration, climate change, and global health. By critically engaging with these dimensions, students will develop a deeper understanding of how security studies contribute to our practical knowledge and inform policies and strategies in addressing real-world challenges.

This is a basic course in public administration. Its aim is to provide students with insight into the problems of decision making and organising the public sector. The difference between the public sector and the private sector are discussed and the sense in which public administration is political in nature. The curriculum will be linked with the national and local administration in Iceland, where that applies.

The primary goal of the course is to give students the understanding and skills necessary to manage and even create their own career. In the course, students will have the opportunity to prepare for the changes that occur upon graduation and the task of finding employment or exploring the possibility of further education begins. The goal is for students to explore in what way their degree in political science has contributed to their career development and plan how they will apply their knowledge, skills, and competencies on the labour market. The course will introduce ways for students to increase their employability and what factors they should keep in mind when preparing for their career.

The course is applied in nature, with students given the opportunity to translate knowledge and competencies they have gained in political science to the applied environment of the labor market. Coursework is intended to increase self knowledge and increase the employability of students when they finish their degree with an emphasis on the skills to creatively and critically connect academic and applied knowledge to deal with the obstacles that they will face in their path to a successful and satisfying career.

The main objective of the course is to provide students with theoretic and practical tools to analyze the causes and outcomes of the main conflicts around the world in the last 30 years. Through case-study analysis, students will be able to identify and analyze different types of armed conflicts, the role of state and non-state actors involved, as well as conflict-resolution/peacebuilding initiatives.

Additionally the course assessess the effectiveness of UN interventions to counter the so called New Wars and changes in warfare (mercenaries, cyberwarfare).

Conflicts that may be analyzed in class include the Balkans, Russia‘s intervention in Ukraine, the war against terrorism in the Sahel, Somalia, China‘s expansion in the South China Sea, Philippines, Myanmar, Iraq, Libya, the rise of ISIS, and  Colombia

The workshop addresses common arrangements for the writing of BA-theses, the shaping of research questions, communication with advisors, the rights and obligations of students in the process of writing. Other practical issues on the writing and completion of BA-theses are addressed. Students attempt the operationalization and shaping of their research questions ins small groups and conclude the workshop by applying for an advisor, if they have not done so already.

BA Thesis.

BA Thesis.

BA Thesis.

The University of Iceland offers this transdisciplinary course for senior graduate students registered in all schools and disciplines across the University. The course is also open to students from all Aurora universities. The course combines online content, virtual sessions that take place over the semester, and a five-day capstone experience on-site at the university of Iceland.

Participants will gain insights into current and future challenges and learn about how these are being addressed. Participants will work in collaborative interdisciplinary teams under the guidance of experienced industry and academic leaders to apply their new knowledge toward developing their own recommendations for tackling immediate and foreseeable challenges. Students will gain a deeper understanding of their own strengths as well as developing methods and approaches for innovative thinking under the guidance of experienced teachers.

The course incorporates the approach of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which is part of the Aurora Competency Framework. This concept includes both social entrepreneurship, a way to achieve social change by employing entrepreneurial principles with or without the formation of new organizations, and social innovation, a process of developing and deploying effective solutions to challenging and often systemic social and environmental issues in support of social progress.

The course relies on brief assignments worked on during the virtual sessions, intense group work on the days of the on-site capstone session, and preparation of final deliverable, which is presented on the final day of the on-site session.

The course is 6 ECTS credits. Successful completion of the course depends on completion of the preparatory work, participation in the group work, and completion of a satisfactory final project and deliverable during the on-site capstone session.

It could be argued that the current political landscape is far from simple. When discussing contemporary politics, it is sometimes argued that the political system is broken and that politicians are not trustworthy because they don't practice what they preach. Not everyone agrees with this assessment and consider inconsistency to be a part and parcel of politics. Others, furthermore, think that moralism is not a virtue but rather something that undermines politics and political compromises. Accordingly, different groups commonly struggle to engage in dialogue without resorting to moral judgments.  

Furthermore, groups that want to undermine women’s rights and the rights of minorities have gathered momentum, and the idea of the strong man in politics seem increasingly popular. It appears that liberal democracy is under threat. Therefore, it is not surprising that people have started to ask: “What exactly is going on? Has democracy got any future?” 

In the course we will focus on political theories and ideas, such as conservatism, socialism, authoritarianism and political moralism, that allow us better understand currents trends in politics. In addition, the course will look into real examples from contemporary politics. The course material will feature works from renowned political scientists and thinkers who have extensively explored these subjects.   

Students will be trained in critical reasoning and analysis of contentious issues to provide a comprehensive understanding of these dynamics. The course is student-centric and will therefore involve active student participation.

The aim of this course is to examine fake news, information disorder and politics. Different concepts and definitions of fake news, as well as how they have developed over time, will be analyzed and discussed. What are the possible consequences of fake news and information disorder and to what extent has false and misleading information been used as a strategic tool in political campaigns?

The course examines how false and misleading information is spread, specifically via social media, by whom and for what purposes, and how governments have responded to an increase in false and misleading information. In addition to this, the course examines how third parties have attempted to use fake news to impact elections and public opinion in modern democracies.

This course will also cover the main challenges politicians face today with changes in the media and communication landscape, where the speed and scale of information often limits the time for contemplation and strategies to respond. At the same time, the boundaries between private and public life have been blurred, and news about what politicians say and do can spread to a great number of people in a very short amount of time.

This course examines how political information spreads through the media and what this information dissemination means for our understanding of politics. The course combines theoretical insights and empirical information from the fields of media studies, political science and journalism. Topics covered in the course include digital politics and communication,  how politicians and political parties use social media platforms, the crisis of politics and media in established democracies, mass media and the news production process, political parties and political marketing, election campaigns and politics as entertainment. Various case studies will be used to shed light on the topics under investigation, including how wars are depicted on social media, media reports concerning the Brexit referendum, how Donald Trump has used social media in his communication with the world, media coverage of COVID-19 and recent examples from Icelandic politics. Much of the material for this module is highly contemporary so students are encouraged to maintain an awareness of current developments in political communication through diverse news outlets.

Legislatures play an important role in democracies. They have legislative powers and sometimes governments also derive their powers from parliamentary majorities, which blurs the lines between the legislative and executive branches in such states. In addition, parliaments have an oversight role and serve as a forum for debates and the exchange of new ideas. Legislators represent voters and serve their interests, while at the same time being leaders in public policymaking and public debates. In the course, students will learn about the multifaceted roles of legislatures; the nature of representation and about the functioning of Alþingi, the parliament of Iceland. In the latter half of the course, attention is turned to recent democratic innovations, intended to involve citizens more directly into decision-making processes. Citizens assemblies and deliberative polls are examples of such undertakings. Among questions that are raised in the course are whether such democratic innovations have been successful and whether they can replace traditional representative democracy. The course combines theories and a practical approach to the subject field, preparing students for careers within legislatures, municipalities, NGO´s etc.

The course covers the institutions of American government: The U.S. constitution, congress, the judicial branch, the federal system and the states. There is also an emphasis on political parties, interests groups, elections and electoral behavior. Special emphasis is on the American presidency and how it has changed since the presidency of George Washington. The course will examine how the president has used his powers, especially in foreign affairs.

A point will be made to attempt to answer the following questions. Is big always more beautiful? How do national politics affect outcomes in local elections?  Has the local administration the strength and professional ability to deliver? Are “professional” mayors in anyway more capable than politically appointed mayors? Are there any reforms on the local government level in the foreseeable future?

The course is intended to introduce students to Icelandic local government. An overview of the principal functions and responsibilities of the Icelandic local government system will be given. Local politics, administration, democracy and legal aspects will be addressed during the course. 

A comparative assessment will be made of the Icelandic local government system and local government systems in Western Europe.  At last an overview of local government studies will be given.

This course will familiarize students with empirical and theoretical accounts of why, how and under what conditions collective non-state actors decide to employ terrorist violence. It will address the fundamental logic and reasons behind terrorism and how governments can counter the threat of terrorism and build successful counterterrorism strategies. The module’s emphasis lies on the principled interaction between terrorist organizations and the state, rather than the specific individuals involved forming a terrorist group. The module addresses briefly the history of terrorism; the four waves of terrorism, different trends and tactics and development of terrorist groups. We will look at how different political systems influence or prevent terrorism. Then terrorism will be put into context with decolonisation, foreign policy and civil wars with a special emphasis on understanding different theories of terrorism and applying them to modern terrorism.

This course introduces students to research on political economy with an emphasis on how the preferences of individuals and groups are transformed into public policies in democracies.We begin with the foundations of rational choice theories as they apply to voting, majority rule, party competition and collective action. Then we go on to analyze some of the key political institutions through which preferences are aggregated in democracies and, in particular, how they can shape incentives and policy outcomes. We will focus on two broad classes of outcomes: Why the size of the welfare state differs between democracies and why some states are economically more successful than others.

This course will serve as an introduction to the People’s Republic of China as a foreign policy actor on both regional (Asia-Pacific) and international levels. Beijing’s global interests will be examined first from an historical viewpoint, examining the evolution of the country’s external political concerns from the early and later Maoist eras through the Dengist reforms and the end of the cold war, to the current policies of Xi Jinping. The course will detail the main domestic actors responsible for Chinese foreign policymaking, including the Politburo Standing Committee, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Commerce, and the changing structure of the People’s Liberation Army and its main branches. The country’s impact on the emerging global economy, (including via the Belt and Road initiative), environmental cooperation, and legal regimes will also be assessed. 

Using Western and Chinese theoretical and empirical approaches to foreign policy studies, key case studies in China’s foreign affairs will be addressed, including relations with the United States and Japan, complex ties with Europe, and growing security concerns in East Asia, including maritime disputes in Western Pacific. 

The course discusses the philosophical and theoretical foundations of gender studies, and the critical and interdisciplinary content of the field. The representation and meaning of sex and gender in language, culture, history, science, and society is explored. The analytical perspective of the field is presented, as is its relationship with methodology. Students are trained in applying theoretical concepts and methods independently and critically.

Teaching Arrangement: The course is based on flipped learning, which means that all lectures will be available on Canvas. On-campus and distance students attend weekly discussion sessions at the university or on Teams, and online students participate in weekly discussions on Canvas.

Politics are about interactions between people, and as such, inevitably linked to psychology as it is the discipline of people's cognition, motivation, and behavior. In this course we will explore both how psychological factors impact political behavior as well as how political systems may impact people's cognition, emotion, and behavior. We will cover both classic and recent theories in political psychology. Emphasis will be on the following topics: Introduction to political psychology, personality and politics, media and the perception of politicians, ideology and political attitudes, emotions and politics, decision making, intergroup relations, prejudice and violence. Attendance is mandatory and active class participation is required.

The goal of the seven day field trip to Brussels is to learn about the organization and the activities of NATO, EFTA, ESA, EU, and the Icelandic Embassy. Politica, the political science students' association, organizes the field trip in agreement with the course supervisor.

This is an introductory course that sheds light on the history of LGBTQI people in Iceland, their experiences, movement, and culture. The history is placed in an international context and the main milestones in their fight for human rights are addressed, as are their legal rights. Important aspects of socialization are addressed, such as the forming of one’s identity and the development of visibility, relationships with families of origin and the search for one’s own family of choice. The difference between lesbian and gay studies and queer studies is addressed and theories on the shaping of sex, gender, and gender trouble are reviewed. The discourse between LGBTQ people and social institutions are covered, as is their condition and quality of life. The role of sexuality in cultural representations is examined, exemplified in how the reality of LGBTQI appears in arts and culture. 

The aim of the visit is to gain first hand knowledge of institutions and actors in the international system. The headquarters of the U.N. and the World Bank will be visited to learn about the role and activities of Iceland within the organizations. In addition the White House, and the Icelandic Embassy in D.C. will be visited in addition to other embassies and institutions. The visits introduce the institutions and their activities to the students from different points of view with the aim of aiding the students understanding of how the institutions function and how states' interestes are mediated within them. The field trip will offer the students a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the scholarly study of these institutions and how the function from a practical perspective.

The course covers the growing influence man has had on his natural environment, the political reaction to that development and the opposing views involved. The ideological basis of Environmental politics and its sociological background will be analysed through the lense of political theories. The growth of environmental grassroot movements and 'green' parties will be discussed as well as the growing emphasis on environmental issues in international politics. The main public policy measures to tackle environmental issues will be explored and conflicting viewpoints analysed. Additionally, the course covers international cooperation and international agreements on environmental issues.

The course offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of forced migration, tackling historical, political, and gendered aspects of the issue. Causes for why people flee their homes, such as societal collapse, wars, persecutions and an unstable economic situation, will be discussed. Special attention will be paid to refugees in Europe since the Second World War. The course will also study states’ responsibilities vis-à-vis refugees, taking into account international laws and regulations, as well responses and capabilities of European states to handle the current flow of refugees. The course will examine the concept of border control and its development in Europe, the Schengen cooperation, and Iceland’s membership of Schengen. Iceland’s policy on refugee matters will also be debated from a historical and social perspective, exploring future prospects of its development. The origin of the term refugee will be studied as well as international laws on the rights of refugees. Different roles that states, international organisations and NGO’s play are examined. The course will also explore the largest groups of refugees in the world today, e.g. women in Latin America, Muslim Rohingya people in SE-Asia and Syrians. Different causes underlying forced migration in these different parts of the world are discussed and put into perspective.

The aim of this unit are to provide a sound understanding of the principles of professional public relations, introduce specialized communication concepts and skills used in contemporary public relations practice, highlight the importance of strategic communications and crisis management and the role of social media in public relations.

The course deals with Russian government and and govenmental institutions and their develoment since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Discussion will focus on institutional transformation from Soviet times and until today and manifestations of power in the past and now. The role of the Russian presidency will be discussed, the development and influence of the Russian media, and how the interaction of political players with representatives of strong interest groups continuously influence and undermine political discourse. The rise of nationalism will be explored, the role of the orthodox church, active and passive political opposition and the growing isolation of Russia from the West. Finally Russia’s Soviet legacies will be examined and how discursive formations of the past are recycled and reproduced in contemporary dicourse.

Contrary to what might be expected from contemporary political discourse, fear, conspiracy theories and mistrust have characterized politics since time immemorial. In this course, we explore these phenomena from the interdisciplinary perspective of political psychology with support from other related disciplines. Initially, we will discuss trust in politics, politicians and citizens as an important but complicated concept within politics. We reflect on the byproducts of mistrust, such as the polarization of social groups and political participation. Next, students learn about the psychology of fear and its known effects on people's beliefs. The psychology of conspiracy theories, their causes and consequences for political behavior and attitudes will also be discussed.

Assignment.

Assignment.

Assignment.

The course starts with a general introduction to political science, covering different analytical approaches (e.g. systems approach, functional approach, power approach), decision-making and policy formation (e.g. Simon, Lindblom, Richardson, et al.), comparative government (e.g. the nation state, cleavages, forms of government), political socialization and political culture. The latter part of the course concentrates more heavily on the Icelandic political system, covering the main features of the development of the political system in the 19th and 20th centuries (e.g. nationalism, cleavages, major periods of the politics of independence and modern politics), the constitution, political parties and elections (e.g. development of the franchise and electoral system, participation, party system, organization, voting behaviour), the legislature (Althingi), and the executive (e.g. president, government and the coalition system, the bureaucracy, relations to interest organizations, policy-making and local government).

The course is intended to introduce students to different theories and subjects within international politics, with a particular emphasis on the changing nature of international politics after the end of the Cold War. The course begins by addressing the nature of the international system, the state and its role within the system. The basic theories of international politics are introduced, as are the main branches within the field, such as international political economy and international security. International organizations, such as the United Nations, and their role are discussed. The latter part of the course is dedicated to the issues of international politics and covers among other things the environment, the role of non-governmental organizations, human rights, and more.

In the course, students are:
1) introduced to the basic theories of international politics, providing them with the basis for understanding contemporary political events
2) trained in analyzing critically concepts and theories relating to globalizations
3) introduced to the relationship between international events and theories of international politics

The course covers the basics of reading, writing and researching that are essential to every political science student. The course prepares the student for tasks such as searching for sources and information in the library and on the internet, writing papers and assignments, citing sources, etc

This class introduces students to political issues and developments in the 20th century that helped shape present day politics. Issues covered in the class include negotiations that resulted in a sovereign statehood for Iceland in 1918; the development of the Icelandic party system; the electoral system and conflicts relating to it; the establishment of a republic in 1944; the Cod Wars and conflicts over the management of the fisheries; key conflicts on foreign policy including membership in NATO and EEA; factors influencing the formation and termination of coalition governments. Students are also introduced to the main characteristics of the Icelandic economy and the key macroeconomic tools used by governments in the past.

The course introduces economic approaches in politics including major theories in the field. It starts with an introduction to rational choice and economic theory, including the market model, market failures and the basic tools of public policy. In the second half of the course the focus is on political and administrative issues including government failures, voting, party competition and representative democracy.

This course addresses the main topics of gender and diversity studies in the light of critical multiculturalism and the diversity of modern societies. It explores the way in which social variables such as gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, disability, age and class differently affects people’s conditions and opportunities. It presents the main ideas of gender and diversity studies, such as gender, essentialism and social constructivism, and explores how social variables are interwoven into people’s lives. The emphasis is on how issues such as gender, multiculturalism, and diversity are related to Icelandic politics and society.

In this class students are introduced to the concept state and its manifold roles and types. This includes learning about the difference between democratic regimes and authoritarianism. Students also learn about the different ways in which democratic political systems are constituted and maintained. To this end students study the political systems and constitutional structures of several key states which include Britain, France, US, Russia, China and Nigeria. At the end of the class students will be able to describe the division of power between the head of state, the government and parliament in the countries studied. They will also be able to describe the main characteristics of their party systems, political culture and social cleavages that affect political unity, and differentiate between democratic and authoritarian regimes. They will also learn about factors contributing to political instability and political violence as well as about the interplay of politics with the economy.

Political Theory: Concepts and ideology is an introductory course addressed to first-year undergraduate students and furnishes students with a basic overview of the most important ideas and ideologies within the field of political theory. The course begins with a series of lectures on classical concepts in political theory, such as e.g., power, sovereignty, the state, citizenship. This introductory part is followed by a series of lectures on classical ideologies such as liberalism, conservatism, socialism, and nationalism as well as on more recent concepts and ideologies, including (but not limited to) feminism, human rights, multiculturalism and ecologism. The students will get training in reasoning and evaluating theories in the fields of political theory their place in contemporary politics. The course presupposes active student participation.

Data er increasingly important for political scientists, whether they are public servants, work in media or business, in social activities or research. Having data literacy and the ability to communicate quantitative information is, therefore, of fundamental importance for political scientists. In this course, students will gain an understanding of data and data analysis with the aim of making them confident and competent users of data. The main focus of the course will be on data visualization, with students being introduced to fundamental principles of how to communiate a variety of data visuallly. Students will gain hands on experience in working with common political science datasets and develop appropriate skills to find, work with, and communicate data with commonly used statistical software package.

The course provides a broad overview of the European integration process with regard to (a) historical and theoretical aspects; (b) the EU political system, its main institutions and decision-making processes; and (c) the EU’s most important policies/policy areas.

Political scientists collect a variety of quantitative data about individuals, countries, governments and many others. It is usually the goal of researchers to aqcuire general knowledge from this data how the world works. A very important tool to do so is inferential statistics, or statistical tests. In this introduction course in inferential statistics we will begin by covering the theoretical foundation of inferential statistics:  The normal curve, sampling distribution, central limit theorem, null hypothesis testing, Type 1 and 2 errors. Thereafter students will learn about specific statistical tests, gain experience in computing them in a statistical software and interpret the results. The primary tests covered will be t-test for one and two samples, chi-square, one-way and two-way ANOVA within and between groups including post-hoc comparisons.

This course is an introduction to how political scientists apply systematic methods to answer empirical research questions. The course covers the nature of the scientific method, alternative methodological approaches to political research, data collection techniques, and the most common research designs applied in political science. Students will  be introduced to a variety of research methods used in political science, including the experimental approach, statistical methods, case studies, interviews, content analysis, and the analysis of secondary data. Additionally, the course will cover the analysis of qualitative data, with students doing a class project based on a qualitative approach. Substantively, the course will include examples of research from major fields of political science, including from the study of international relations, institutions, political behavior, and public policy. The course will enable students be become critical consumers of  scientific research in political science and cognate fields, as well as providing them with skills which are applicable to a variety of employment careers pursued by students of political science.

The course deals with classical theory in the social sciences emphasizing the theoretical contributions of Karl Marx (1818-1883), Max Weber (1864-1920) and Emil Durkheim (1858-1917). On the one hand, the theories are examined with respect to their historical context, while on the other hand, their they are examined with respect to their impact on subsequent ideas and methods of the social sciences. Substantively, the course will emphasize Marx‘s, Weber‘s, and Durkheim‘s ideas on the emergence and main characteristics of modern societies and politics. The theories will be compared, their differing assumptions discussed, and major criticisms analyzed.  

Why do political parties emphasize certain issues? Why do parties and voters align themselves along ideologies, such as a left-right divide, or a liberal versus non-liberal divide? In this course we will answer these types of questions were we will, among other things, analyse what factors impact political behaviour of voters (e.g. electoral participation, what party they vote and protest participation) and their political attitudes. Party systems and different party types will be discussed, for example in terms of their organization, whether they are candidate centered or party centered, number of members and their policies. Questions will be raised about how easy it is for new parties to enter politics, whom or what groups parties represent and what is their role in modern democracies. We will discuss and analyse whether and how the structure of the society impacts the political behaviour of the public, party systems and political policies. The course will cover discussions about political cleavages, changes in the connection between political parties and voters and what are the main challenges which modern democracies are faced with.

This course on public policy has three parts: First, the introduction which focuses on two main areas: (a) theoretical background of public policy and the main theoretical approaches to explanatory analysis applied in social sciences, (b) competing views and interests considered regarding efficiency, equity, individual freedom and social cohesion when defining public policy objectives. Second, students will learn about policy issues in four different policy domains, i.e. climate change, health care, education and taxation. Third, the policy-making process will be studied with a particular focus on agenda-setting theories, i.e. how an issue gets onto the government agenda and what explains that sometimes an issue becomes realised but sometimes not, - and how various incentives and the public policy context affect policy implementation and outcomes.

Organized interest groups are an important element of politics that seek to influence the state and public decision making. The course looks into the role, power and methods used by interest organizations. It also looks at how these factors are shaped by the democratic context, the constitutional set-up of states and the tasks of governments. For these purposes students are introduced to theories on state power.. They also learn concepts and theories used by political scientists, to analyse state-societal relations. These include pluralism, elitism and corporatism; concepts that are also used by political scientists to study democracy and political power. Through comparisons and cases drawn from Iceland, Europe and the United States students seek to provide answers to the question of who rules, while also gaining an understanding of how democratic governments interact with interest organizations and the strategies of interest groups to influence policy outcomes.

This course introduces students to the dynamic and multifaceted field of security studies. It examines key questions central to the discipline: What is security? For whom is security intended? How is security defined and practiced? The focus of security studies centers around exploring these questions across various levels of analysis—individual, national, international, transnational, and global—as well as within distinct security domains, including political, military, economic, social, and environmental contexts.

1. Through theoretical frameworks and practical case studies, the course investigates how different approaches and levels of analysis shape our understanding of security challenges and solutions. Students will gain insights into both traditional and expanded notions of security, examining topics such as human security, cybersecurity, migration, climate change, and global health. By critically engaging with these dimensions, students will develop a deeper understanding of how security studies contribute to our practical knowledge and inform policies and strategies in addressing real-world challenges.

This is a basic course in public administration. Its aim is to provide students with insight into the problems of decision making and organising the public sector. The difference between the public sector and the private sector are discussed and the sense in which public administration is political in nature. The curriculum will be linked with the national and local administration in Iceland, where that applies.

Does political distrust impact electoral participation, and if so, does the impact depend on peoples’ age? What explains why some people are to the left in politics and others to the right? Are voters, which have a weak socio-economic status, more likely to support so-called populist parties or not? In this course the focus is on how political scientists test theories about causality using quantitative methods. Student will learn to form questions for questionnaires, regression analysis and its assumptions, and how to analyze experimental data. Students will be trained to use statistical methods on available data and to answer research questions about causal mechanism and causality. Students will gain understanding about the pros and cons of different research designs and how those relate to internal and external validity. Students will work on their own research project and analyze data. 

The course provides a broad overview of the European integration process with regard to (a) historical and theoretical aspects; (b) the EU political system, its main institutions and decision-making processes; and (c) the EU’s most important policies/policy areas.

The course deals with classical theory in the social sciences emphasizing the theoretical contributions of Karl Marx (1818-1883), Max Weber (1864-1920) and Emil Durkheim (1858-1917). On the one hand, the theories are examined with respect to their historical context, while on the other hand, their they are examined with respect to their impact on subsequent ideas and methods of the social sciences. Substantively, the course will emphasize Marx‘s, Weber‘s, and Durkheim‘s ideas on the emergence and main characteristics of modern societies and politics. The theories will be compared, their differing assumptions discussed, and major criticisms analyzed.  

Why do political parties emphasize certain issues? Why do parties and voters align themselves along ideologies, such as a left-right divide, or a liberal versus non-liberal divide? In this course we will answer these types of questions were we will, among other things, analyse what factors impact political behaviour of voters (e.g. electoral participation, what party they vote and protest participation) and their political attitudes. Party systems and different party types will be discussed, for example in terms of their organization, whether they are candidate centered or party centered, number of members and their policies. Questions will be raised about how easy it is for new parties to enter politics, whom or what groups parties represent and what is their role in modern democracies. We will discuss and analyse whether and how the structure of the society impacts the political behaviour of the public, party systems and political policies. The course will cover discussions about political cleavages, changes in the connection between political parties and voters and what are the main challenges which modern democracies are faced with.

This course on public policy has three parts: First, the introduction which focuses on two main areas: (a) theoretical background of public policy and the main theoretical approaches to explanatory analysis applied in social sciences, (b) competing views and interests considered regarding efficiency, equity, individual freedom and social cohesion when defining public policy objectives. Second, students will learn about policy issues in four different policy domains, i.e. climate change, health care, education and taxation. Third, the policy-making process will be studied with a particular focus on agenda-setting theories, i.e. how an issue gets onto the government agenda and what explains that sometimes an issue becomes realised but sometimes not, - and how various incentives and the public policy context affect policy implementation and outcomes.

The course is intended to introduce students to hybrid threats and hybrid warfare, that are increasingly prominent in security debates. Hybrid warfare has been utilized in war and conflict throughout history – to undermine adversaries, through disinformation and subversion. Modern technology and complex society have radically altered the scope and ease by which hybrid warfare can be employed. Different perpetrators can now pose such threats and engage in such warfare in more varied ways at less cost and risk.

Historical development will be introduced and current divergence, regarding hybrid warfare in the world, put into context of relevant theories of international relations. The main actors, their methods, and possible consequences will be studied, e.g., a serious threat to democracy. Also, the responses and resources brought to bear will be addressed, the problems that states and societies may find in planning their response and defence. Responses and remedies to hybrid threats will be addressed, the potential problems that may exist, as attacks and actions tend to undermine cohesion and promote fragmentation – which can further impede response.

The main objective of the course is to provide students with theoretic and practical tools to analyze the challenges, threats, and opportunities of constructing peace in the aftermath of war. What happens after the last shot is fired until sustainable peace is achieved? Through case-study analysis students will be able to identify and understand different stakeholders and spoilers of peacebuilding efforts as well as the lessons learned in the last 30 years of conflict intervention. Students will analyze why constructing a sustainable peace after armed conflict has proven to be so complex, despite the robust budgets and deployments, or the inclusion of components such as transitional justice, security sector reform, and development. Among the peace process that will be analyzed in class: South Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Timor Leste, Philippines, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, Mozambique, DR Congo, and Colombia

The aim of this course is to study the behavior and role of small states in the international system. The course deals with questions such as: What is a small state? What are the main constrains and opportunities of small states? Do small states behave differently in the international community from larger ones? The course offers an introduction to the literature on the state, the international system and small-state studies. The main emphasis, however, is on internal and external opportunities and constraints facing small states, for example how they are affected by and have responded to globalization, new security threats and the process of European integration. Special attention is devoted to Iceland and its reactions to economic crises and security threats. The course will also examine Iceland´s relations with the United States, China, Russia and the Nordic states, and its engagement with the European Union.

The aim of this course is to study strategies of small states to protect their interests and have a say in the international system. The course builds on the small state literature and examines whether small states tend to seek shelter, hedge, or hide in the international system. The focus is on the ability of small states to establish constructive relations with larger states and their power potential in international organizations. Special attention will be paid to current affairs and how a variety of small European states have been affected by and responded to the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The course will analyse crisis management in small states and how small states have responded to external crises, such as international economic crises and pandemics. The course examines small states’ methods to influence the day-to-day decision-making in the European Union. It studies the utilization of soft power by the smaller states, such as how small states use participation in the Eurovision Song Contest to enhance their international image. The course focus specially on small European states, in particular the five Nordic states. The course brings together some of the leading scholars in the field of small state studies and leadership studies by providing students with access to an online edX course on leadership in small states. The online edX course will supplement discussion in the classroom and cover in greater depth Small State Leadership in Public Administration and Governance; Small State Leadership in Foreign and Security Policy; Small State Leadership in Gender Policy; and Small State Leadership in International Diplomacy.

This course will provide an insight into recent and ongoing conflict in the world through the lens of peace and conflict studies. It starts with an introduction to the field of peace and conflict studies, setting the stage for an analysis of recent and ongoing conflicts with the help of guest lecturers with expertise in the relevant regions. The course concludes with an introduction to the field of conflict resolution and mediation. Likely topics will include Ukraine, Israel-Palestine, and Sudan, to name a few.

The workshop addresses common arrangements for the writing of BA-theses, the shaping of research questions, communication with advisors, the rights and obligations of students in the process of writing. Other practical issues on the writing and completion of BA-theses are addressed. Students attempt the operationalization and shaping of their research questions ins small groups and conclude the workshop by applying for an advisor, if they have not done so already.

Organized interest groups are an important element of politics that seek to influence the state and public decision making. The course looks into the role, power and methods used by interest organizations. It also looks at how these factors are shaped by the democratic context, the constitutional set-up of states and the tasks of governments. For these purposes students are introduced to theories on state power.. They also learn concepts and theories used by political scientists, to analyse state-societal relations. These include pluralism, elitism and corporatism; concepts that are also used by political scientists to study democracy and political power. Through comparisons and cases drawn from Iceland, Europe and the United States students seek to provide answers to the question of who rules, while also gaining an understanding of how democratic governments interact with interest organizations and the strategies of interest groups to influence policy outcomes.

This course introduces students to the dynamic and multifaceted field of security studies. It examines key questions central to the discipline: What is security? For whom is security intended? How is security defined and practiced? The focus of security studies centers around exploring these questions across various levels of analysis—individual, national, international, transnational, and global—as well as within distinct security domains, including political, military, economic, social, and environmental contexts.

1. Through theoretical frameworks and practical case studies, the course investigates how different approaches and levels of analysis shape our understanding of security challenges and solutions. Students will gain insights into both traditional and expanded notions of security, examining topics such as human security, cybersecurity, migration, climate change, and global health. By critically engaging with these dimensions, students will develop a deeper understanding of how security studies contribute to our practical knowledge and inform policies and strategies in addressing real-world challenges.

This is a basic course in public administration. Its aim is to provide students with insight into the problems of decision making and organising the public sector. The difference between the public sector and the private sector are discussed and the sense in which public administration is political in nature. The curriculum will be linked with the national and local administration in Iceland, where that applies.

The primary goal of the course is to give students the understanding and skills necessary to manage and even create their own career. In the course, students will have the opportunity to prepare for the changes that occur upon graduation and the task of finding employment or exploring the possibility of further education begins. The goal is for students to explore in what way their degree in political science has contributed to their career development and plan how they will apply their knowledge, skills, and competencies on the labour market. The course will introduce ways for students to increase their employability and what factors they should keep in mind when preparing for their career.

The course is applied in nature, with students given the opportunity to translate knowledge and competencies they have gained in political science to the applied environment of the labor market. Coursework is intended to increase self knowledge and increase the employability of students when they finish their degree with an emphasis on the skills to creatively and critically connect academic and applied knowledge to deal with the obstacles that they will face in their path to a successful and satisfying career.

The main objective of the course is to provide students with theoretic and practical tools to analyze the causes and outcomes of the main conflicts around the world in the last 30 years. Through case-study analysis, students will be able to identify and analyze different types of armed conflicts, the role of state and non-state actors involved, as well as conflict-resolution/peacebuilding initiatives.

Additionally the course assessess the effectiveness of UN interventions to counter the so called New Wars and changes in warfare (mercenaries, cyberwarfare).

Conflicts that may be analyzed in class include the Balkans, Russia‘s intervention in Ukraine, the war against terrorism in the Sahel, Somalia, China‘s expansion in the South China Sea, Philippines, Myanmar, Iraq, Libya, the rise of ISIS, and  Colombia

The workshop addresses common arrangements for the writing of BA-theses, the shaping of research questions, communication with advisors, the rights and obligations of students in the process of writing. Other practical issues on the writing and completion of BA-theses are addressed. Students attempt the operationalization and shaping of their research questions ins small groups and conclude the workshop by applying for an advisor, if they have not done so already.

BA Thesis.

BA Thesis.

BA Thesis.

The University of Iceland offers this transdisciplinary course for senior graduate students registered in all schools and disciplines across the University. The course is also open to students from all Aurora universities. The course combines online content, virtual sessions that take place over the semester, and a five-day capstone experience on-site at the university of Iceland.

Participants will gain insights into current and future challenges and learn about how these are being addressed. Participants will work in collaborative interdisciplinary teams under the guidance of experienced industry and academic leaders to apply their new knowledge toward developing their own recommendations for tackling immediate and foreseeable challenges. Students will gain a deeper understanding of their own strengths as well as developing methods and approaches for innovative thinking under the guidance of experienced teachers.

The course incorporates the approach of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which is part of the Aurora Competency Framework. This concept includes both social entrepreneurship, a way to achieve social change by employing entrepreneurial principles with or without the formation of new organizations, and social innovation, a process of developing and deploying effective solutions to challenging and often systemic social and environmental issues in support of social progress.

The course relies on brief assignments worked on during the virtual sessions, intense group work on the days of the on-site capstone session, and preparation of final deliverable, which is presented on the final day of the on-site session.

The course is 6 ECTS credits. Successful completion of the course depends on completion of the preparatory work, participation in the group work, and completion of a satisfactory final project and deliverable during the on-site capstone session.

It could be argued that the current political landscape is far from simple. When discussing contemporary politics, it is sometimes argued that the political system is broken and that politicians are not trustworthy because they don't practice what they preach. Not everyone agrees with this assessment and consider inconsistency to be a part and parcel of politics. Others, furthermore, think that moralism is not a virtue but rather something that undermines politics and political compromises. Accordingly, different groups commonly struggle to engage in dialogue without resorting to moral judgments.  

Furthermore, groups that want to undermine women’s rights and the rights of minorities have gathered momentum, and the idea of the strong man in politics seem increasingly popular. It appears that liberal democracy is under threat. Therefore, it is not surprising that people have started to ask: “What exactly is going on? Has democracy got any future?” 

In the course we will focus on political theories and ideas, such as conservatism, socialism, authoritarianism and political moralism, that allow us better understand currents trends in politics. In addition, the course will look into real examples from contemporary politics. The course material will feature works from renowned political scientists and thinkers who have extensively explored these subjects.   

Students will be trained in critical reasoning and analysis of contentious issues to provide a comprehensive understanding of these dynamics. The course is student-centric and will therefore involve active student participation.

The aim of this course is to examine fake news, information disorder and politics. Different concepts and definitions of fake news, as well as how they have developed over time, will be analyzed and discussed. What are the possible consequences of fake news and information disorder and to what extent has false and misleading information been used as a strategic tool in political campaigns?

The course examines how false and misleading information is spread, specifically via social media, by whom and for what purposes, and how governments have responded to an increase in false and misleading information. In addition to this, the course examines how third parties have attempted to use fake news to impact elections and public opinion in modern democracies.

This course will also cover the main challenges politicians face today with changes in the media and communication landscape, where the speed and scale of information often limits the time for contemplation and strategies to respond. At the same time, the boundaries between private and public life have been blurred, and news about what politicians say and do can spread to a great number of people in a very short amount of time.

This course examines how political information spreads through the media and what this information dissemination means for our understanding of politics. The course combines theoretical insights and empirical information from the fields of media studies, political science and journalism. Topics covered in the course include digital politics and communication,  how politicians and political parties use social media platforms, the crisis of politics and media in established democracies, mass media and the news production process, political parties and political marketing, election campaigns and politics as entertainment. Various case studies will be used to shed light on the topics under investigation, including how wars are depicted on social media, media reports concerning the Brexit referendum, how Donald Trump has used social media in his communication with the world, media coverage of COVID-19 and recent examples from Icelandic politics. Much of the material for this module is highly contemporary so students are encouraged to maintain an awareness of current developments in political communication through diverse news outlets.

Legislatures play an important role in democracies. They have legislative powers and sometimes governments also derive their powers from parliamentary majorities, which blurs the lines between the legislative and executive branches in such states. In addition, parliaments have an oversight role and serve as a forum for debates and the exchange of new ideas. Legislators represent voters and serve their interests, while at the same time being leaders in public policymaking and public debates. In the course, students will learn about the multifaceted roles of legislatures; the nature of representation and about the functioning of Alþingi, the parliament of Iceland. In the latter half of the course, attention is turned to recent democratic innovations, intended to involve citizens more directly into decision-making processes. Citizens assemblies and deliberative polls are examples of such undertakings. Among questions that are raised in the course are whether such democratic innovations have been successful and whether they can replace traditional representative democracy. The course combines theories and a practical approach to the subject field, preparing students for careers within legislatures, municipalities, NGO´s etc.

The course covers the institutions of American government: The U.S. constitution, congress, the judicial branch, the federal system and the states. There is also an emphasis on political parties, interests groups, elections and electoral behavior. Special emphasis is on the American presidency and how it has changed since the presidency of George Washington. The course will examine how the president has used his powers, especially in foreign affairs.

A point will be made to attempt to answer the following questions. Is big always more beautiful? How do national politics affect outcomes in local elections?  Has the local administration the strength and professional ability to deliver? Are “professional” mayors in anyway more capable than politically appointed mayors? Are there any reforms on the local government level in the foreseeable future?

The course is intended to introduce students to Icelandic local government. An overview of the principal functions and responsibilities of the Icelandic local government system will be given. Local politics, administration, democracy and legal aspects will be addressed during the course. 

A comparative assessment will be made of the Icelandic local government system and local government systems in Western Europe.  At last an overview of local government studies will be given.

This course will familiarize students with empirical and theoretical accounts of why, how and under what conditions collective non-state actors decide to employ terrorist violence. It will address the fundamental logic and reasons behind terrorism and how governments can counter the threat of terrorism and build successful counterterrorism strategies. The module’s emphasis lies on the principled interaction between terrorist organizations and the state, rather than the specific individuals involved forming a terrorist group. The module addresses briefly the history of terrorism; the four waves of terrorism, different trends and tactics and development of terrorist groups. We will look at how different political systems influence or prevent terrorism. Then terrorism will be put into context with decolonisation, foreign policy and civil wars with a special emphasis on understanding different theories of terrorism and applying them to modern terrorism.

This course introduces students to research on political economy with an emphasis on how the preferences of individuals and groups are transformed into public policies in democracies.We begin with the foundations of rational choice theories as they apply to voting, majority rule, party competition and collective action. Then we go on to analyze some of the key political institutions through which preferences are aggregated in democracies and, in particular, how they can shape incentives and policy outcomes. We will focus on two broad classes of outcomes: Why the size of the welfare state differs between democracies and why some states are economically more successful than others.

This course will serve as an introduction to the People’s Republic of China as a foreign policy actor on both regional (Asia-Pacific) and international levels. Beijing’s global interests will be examined first from an historical viewpoint, examining the evolution of the country’s external political concerns from the early and later Maoist eras through the Dengist reforms and the end of the cold war, to the current policies of Xi Jinping. The course will detail the main domestic actors responsible for Chinese foreign policymaking, including the Politburo Standing Committee, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Commerce, and the changing structure of the People’s Liberation Army and its main branches. The country’s impact on the emerging global economy, (including via the Belt and Road initiative), environmental cooperation, and legal regimes will also be assessed. 

Using Western and Chinese theoretical and empirical approaches to foreign policy studies, key case studies in China’s foreign affairs will be addressed, including relations with the United States and Japan, complex ties with Europe, and growing security concerns in East Asia, including maritime disputes in Western Pacific. 

The course discusses the philosophical and theoretical foundations of gender studies, and the critical and interdisciplinary content of the field. The representation and meaning of sex and gender in language, culture, history, science, and society is explored. The analytical perspective of the field is presented, as is its relationship with methodology. Students are trained in applying theoretical concepts and methods independently and critically.

Teaching Arrangement: The course is based on flipped learning, which means that all lectures will be available on Canvas. On-campus and distance students attend weekly discussion sessions at the university or on Teams, and online students participate in weekly discussions on Canvas.

Politics are about interactions between people, and as such, inevitably linked to psychology as it is the discipline of people's cognition, motivation, and behavior. In this course we will explore both how psychological factors impact political behavior as well as how political systems may impact people's cognition, emotion, and behavior. We will cover both classic and recent theories in political psychology. Emphasis will be on the following topics: Introduction to political psychology, personality and politics, media and the perception of politicians, ideology and political attitudes, emotions and politics, decision making, intergroup relations, prejudice and violence. Attendance is mandatory and active class participation is required.

The goal of the seven day field trip to Brussels is to learn about the organization and the activities of NATO, EFTA, ESA, EU, and the Icelandic Embassy. Politica, the political science students' association, organizes the field trip in agreement with the course supervisor.

This is an introductory course that sheds light on the history of LGBTQI people in Iceland, their experiences, movement, and culture. The history is placed in an international context and the main milestones in their fight for human rights are addressed, as are their legal rights. Important aspects of socialization are addressed, such as the forming of one’s identity and the development of visibility, relationships with families of origin and the search for one’s own family of choice. The difference between lesbian and gay studies and queer studies is addressed and theories on the shaping of sex, gender, and gender trouble are reviewed. The discourse between LGBTQ people and social institutions are covered, as is their condition and quality of life. The role of sexuality in cultural representations is examined, exemplified in how the reality of LGBTQI appears in arts and culture. 

The aim of the visit is to gain first hand knowledge of institutions and actors in the international system. The headquarters of the U.N. and the World Bank will be visited to learn about the role and activities of Iceland within the organizations. In addition the White House, and the Icelandic Embassy in D.C. will be visited in addition to other embassies and institutions. The visits introduce the institutions and their activities to the students from different points of view with the aim of aiding the students understanding of how the institutions function and how states' interestes are mediated within them. The field trip will offer the students a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the scholarly study of these institutions and how the function from a practical perspective.

The course covers the growing influence man has had on his natural environment, the political reaction to that development and the opposing views involved. The ideological basis of Environmental politics and its sociological background will be analysed through the lense of political theories. The growth of environmental grassroot movements and 'green' parties will be discussed as well as the growing emphasis on environmental issues in international politics. The main public policy measures to tackle environmental issues will be explored and conflicting viewpoints analysed. Additionally, the course covers international cooperation and international agreements on environmental issues.

The course offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of forced migration, tackling historical, political, and gendered aspects of the issue. Causes for why people flee their homes, such as societal collapse, wars, persecutions and an unstable economic situation, will be discussed. Special attention will be paid to refugees in Europe since the Second World War. The course will also study states’ responsibilities vis-à-vis refugees, taking into account international laws and regulations, as well responses and capabilities of European states to handle the current flow of refugees. The course will examine the concept of border control and its development in Europe, the Schengen cooperation, and Iceland’s membership of Schengen. Iceland’s policy on refugee matters will also be debated from a historical and social perspective, exploring future prospects of its development. The origin of the term refugee will be studied as well as international laws on the rights of refugees. Different roles that states, international organisations and NGO’s play are examined. The course will also explore the largest groups of refugees in the world today, e.g. women in Latin America, Muslim Rohingya people in SE-Asia and Syrians. Different causes underlying forced migration in these different parts of the world are discussed and put into perspective.

The aim of this unit are to provide a sound understanding of the principles of professional public relations, introduce specialized communication concepts and skills used in contemporary public relations practice, highlight the importance of strategic communications and crisis management and the role of social media in public relations.

The course deals with Russian government and and govenmental institutions and their develoment since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Discussion will focus on institutional transformation from Soviet times and until today and manifestations of power in the past and now. The role of the Russian presidency will be discussed, the development and influence of the Russian media, and how the interaction of political players with representatives of strong interest groups continuously influence and undermine political discourse. The rise of nationalism will be explored, the role of the orthodox church, active and passive political opposition and the growing isolation of Russia from the West. Finally Russia’s Soviet legacies will be examined and how discursive formations of the past are recycled and reproduced in contemporary dicourse.

Contrary to what might be expected from contemporary political discourse, fear, conspiracy theories and mistrust have characterized politics since time immemorial. In this course, we explore these phenomena from the interdisciplinary perspective of political psychology with support from other related disciplines. Initially, we will discuss trust in politics, politicians and citizens as an important but complicated concept within politics. We reflect on the byproducts of mistrust, such as the polarization of social groups and political participation. Next, students learn about the psychology of fear and its known effects on people's beliefs. The psychology of conspiracy theories, their causes and consequences for political behavior and attitudes will also be discussed.

Assignment.

Assignment.

Assignment.

The course starts with a general introduction to political science, covering different analytical approaches (e.g. systems approach, functional approach, power approach), decision-making and policy formation (e.g. Simon, Lindblom, Richardson, et al.), comparative government (e.g. the nation state, cleavages, forms of government), political socialization and political culture. The latter part of the course concentrates more heavily on the Icelandic political system, covering the main features of the development of the political system in the 19th and 20th centuries (e.g. nationalism, cleavages, major periods of the politics of independence and modern politics), the constitution, political parties and elections (e.g. development of the franchise and electoral system, participation, party system, organization, voting behaviour), the legislature (Althingi), and the executive (e.g. president, government and the coalition system, the bureaucracy, relations to interest organizations, policy-making and local government).

The course is intended to introduce students to different theories and subjects within international politics, with a particular emphasis on the changing nature of international politics after the end of the Cold War. The course begins by addressing the nature of the international system, the state and its role within the system. The basic theories of international politics are introduced, as are the main branches within the field, such as international political economy and international security. International organizations, such as the United Nations, and their role are discussed. The latter part of the course is dedicated to the issues of international politics and covers among other things the environment, the role of non-governmental organizations, human rights, and more.

In the course, students are:
1) introduced to the basic theories of international politics, providing them with the basis for understanding contemporary political events
2) trained in analyzing critically concepts and theories relating to globalizations
3) introduced to the relationship between international events and theories of international politics

The course covers the basics of reading, writing and researching that are essential to every political science student. The course prepares the student for tasks such as searching for sources and information in the library and on the internet, writing papers and assignments, citing sources, etc

This class introduces students to political issues and developments in the 20th century that helped shape present day politics. Issues covered in the class include negotiations that resulted in a sovereign statehood for Iceland in 1918; the development of the Icelandic party system; the electoral system and conflicts relating to it; the establishment of a republic in 1944; the Cod Wars and conflicts over the management of the fisheries; key conflicts on foreign policy including membership in NATO and EEA; factors influencing the formation and termination of coalition governments. Students are also introduced to the main characteristics of the Icelandic economy and the key macroeconomic tools used by governments in the past.

The course introduces economic approaches in politics including major theories in the field. It starts with an introduction to rational choice and economic theory, including the market model, market failures and the basic tools of public policy. In the second half of the course the focus is on political and administrative issues including government failures, voting, party competition and representative democracy.

This course addresses the main topics of gender and diversity studies in the light of critical multiculturalism and the diversity of modern societies. It explores the way in which social variables such as gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, disability, age and class differently affects people’s conditions and opportunities. It presents the main ideas of gender and diversity studies, such as gender, essentialism and social constructivism, and explores how social variables are interwoven into people’s lives. The emphasis is on how issues such as gender, multiculturalism, and diversity are related to Icelandic politics and society.

In this class students are introduced to the concept state and its manifold roles and types. This includes learning about the difference between democratic regimes and authoritarianism. Students also learn about the different ways in which democratic political systems are constituted and maintained. To this end students study the political systems and constitutional structures of several key states which include Britain, France, US, Russia, China and Nigeria. At the end of the class students will be able to describe the division of power between the head of state, the government and parliament in the countries studied. They will also be able to describe the main characteristics of their party systems, political culture and social cleavages that affect political unity, and differentiate between democratic and authoritarian regimes. They will also learn about factors contributing to political instability and political violence as well as about the interplay of politics with the economy.

Political Theory: Concepts and ideology is an introductory course addressed to first-year undergraduate students and furnishes students with a basic overview of the most important ideas and ideologies within the field of political theory. The course begins with a series of lectures on classical concepts in political theory, such as e.g., power, sovereignty, the state, citizenship. This introductory part is followed by a series of lectures on classical ideologies such as liberalism, conservatism, socialism, and nationalism as well as on more recent concepts and ideologies, including (but not limited to) feminism, human rights, multiculturalism and ecologism. The students will get training in reasoning and evaluating theories in the fields of political theory their place in contemporary politics. The course presupposes active student participation.

Data er increasingly important for political scientists, whether they are public servants, work in media or business, in social activities or research. Having data literacy and the ability to communicate quantitative information is, therefore, of fundamental importance for political scientists. In this course, students will gain an understanding of data and data analysis with the aim of making them confident and competent users of data. The main focus of the course will be on data visualization, with students being introduced to fundamental principles of how to communiate a variety of data visuallly. Students will gain hands on experience in working with common political science datasets and develop appropriate skills to find, work with, and communicate data with commonly used statistical software package.

The course provides a broad overview of the European integration process with regard to (a) historical and theoretical aspects; (b) the EU political system, its main institutions and decision-making processes; and (c) the EU’s most important policies/policy areas.

Political scientists collect a variety of quantitative data about individuals, countries, governments and many others. It is usually the goal of researchers to aqcuire general knowledge from this data how the world works. A very important tool to do so is inferential statistics, or statistical tests. In this introduction course in inferential statistics we will begin by covering the theoretical foundation of inferential statistics:  The normal curve, sampling distribution, central limit theorem, null hypothesis testing, Type 1 and 2 errors. Thereafter students will learn about specific statistical tests, gain experience in computing them in a statistical software and interpret the results. The primary tests covered will be t-test for one and two samples, chi-square, one-way and two-way ANOVA within and between groups including post-hoc comparisons.

This course is an introduction to how political scientists apply systematic methods to answer empirical research questions. The course covers the nature of the scientific method, alternative methodological approaches to political research, data collection techniques, and the most common research designs applied in political science. Students will  be introduced to a variety of research methods used in political science, including the experimental approach, statistical methods, case studies, interviews, content analysis, and the analysis of secondary data. Additionally, the course will cover the analysis of qualitative data, with students doing a class project based on a qualitative approach. Substantively, the course will include examples of research from major fields of political science, including from the study of international relations, institutions, political behavior, and public policy. The course will enable students be become critical consumers of  scientific research in political science and cognate fields, as well as providing them with skills which are applicable to a variety of employment careers pursued by students of political science.

The course deals with classical theory in the social sciences emphasizing the theoretical contributions of Karl Marx (1818-1883), Max Weber (1864-1920) and Emil Durkheim (1858-1917). On the one hand, the theories are examined with respect to their historical context, while on the other hand, their they are examined with respect to their impact on subsequent ideas and methods of the social sciences. Substantively, the course will emphasize Marx‘s, Weber‘s, and Durkheim‘s ideas on the emergence and main characteristics of modern societies and politics. The theories will be compared, their differing assumptions discussed, and major criticisms analyzed.  

Why do political parties emphasize certain issues? Why do parties and voters align themselves along ideologies, such as a left-right divide, or a liberal versus non-liberal divide? In this course we will answer these types of questions were we will, among other things, analyse what factors impact political behaviour of voters (e.g. electoral participation, what party they vote and protest participation) and their political attitudes. Party systems and different party types will be discussed, for example in terms of their organization, whether they are candidate centered or party centered, number of members and their policies. Questions will be raised about how easy it is for new parties to enter politics, whom or what groups parties represent and what is their role in modern democracies. We will discuss and analyse whether and how the structure of the society impacts the political behaviour of the public, party systems and political policies. The course will cover discussions about political cleavages, changes in the connection between political parties and voters and what are the main challenges which modern democracies are faced with.

This course on public policy has three parts: First, the introduction which focuses on two main areas: (a) theoretical background of public policy and the main theoretical approaches to explanatory analysis applied in social sciences, (b) competing views and interests considered regarding efficiency, equity, individual freedom and social cohesion when defining public policy objectives. Second, students will learn about policy issues in four different policy domains, i.e. climate change, health care, education and taxation. Third, the policy-making process will be studied with a particular focus on agenda-setting theories, i.e. how an issue gets onto the government agenda and what explains that sometimes an issue becomes realised but sometimes not, - and how various incentives and the public policy context affect policy implementation and outcomes.

Organized interest groups are an important element of politics that seek to influence the state and public decision making. The course looks into the role, power and methods used by interest organizations. It also looks at how these factors are shaped by the democratic context, the constitutional set-up of states and the tasks of governments. For these purposes students are introduced to theories on state power.. They also learn concepts and theories used by political scientists, to analyse state-societal relations. These include pluralism, elitism and corporatism; concepts that are also used by political scientists to study democracy and political power. Through comparisons and cases drawn from Iceland, Europe and the United States students seek to provide answers to the question of who rules, while also gaining an understanding of how democratic governments interact with interest organizations and the strategies of interest groups to influence policy outcomes.

This course introduces students to the dynamic and multifaceted field of security studies. It examines key questions central to the discipline: What is security? For whom is security intended? How is security defined and practiced? The focus of security studies centers around exploring these questions across various levels of analysis—individual, national, international, transnational, and global—as well as within distinct security domains, including political, military, economic, social, and environmental contexts.

1. Through theoretical frameworks and practical case studies, the course investigates how different approaches and levels of analysis shape our understanding of security challenges and solutions. Students will gain insights into both traditional and expanded notions of security, examining topics such as human security, cybersecurity, migration, climate change, and global health. By critically engaging with these dimensions, students will develop a deeper understanding of how security studies contribute to our practical knowledge and inform policies and strategies in addressing real-world challenges.

This is a basic course in public administration. Its aim is to provide students with insight into the problems of decision making and organising the public sector. The difference between the public sector and the private sector are discussed and the sense in which public administration is political in nature. The curriculum will be linked with the national and local administration in Iceland, where that applies.

Does political distrust impact electoral participation, and if so, does the impact depend on peoples’ age? What explains why some people are to the left in politics and others to the right? Are voters, which have a weak socio-economic status, more likely to support so-called populist parties or not? In this course the focus is on how political scientists test theories about causality using quantitative methods. Student will learn to form questions for questionnaires, regression analysis and its assumptions, and how to analyze experimental data. Students will be trained to use statistical methods on available data and to answer research questions about causal mechanism and causality. Students will gain understanding about the pros and cons of different research designs and how those relate to internal and external validity. Students will work on their own research project and analyze data. 

The course provides a broad overview of the European integration process with regard to (a) historical and theoretical aspects; (b) the EU political system, its main institutions and decision-making processes; and (c) the EU’s most important policies/policy areas.

The course deals with classical theory in the social sciences emphasizing the theoretical contributions of Karl Marx (1818-1883), Max Weber (1864-1920) and Emil Durkheim (1858-1917). On the one hand, the theories are examined with respect to their historical context, while on the other hand, their they are examined with respect to their impact on subsequent ideas and methods of the social sciences. Substantively, the course will emphasize Marx‘s, Weber‘s, and Durkheim‘s ideas on the emergence and main characteristics of modern societies and politics. The theories will be compared, their differing assumptions discussed, and major criticisms analyzed.  

Why do political parties emphasize certain issues? Why do parties and voters align themselves along ideologies, such as a left-right divide, or a liberal versus non-liberal divide? In this course we will answer these types of questions were we will, among other things, analyse what factors impact political behaviour of voters (e.g. electoral participation, what party they vote and protest participation) and their political attitudes. Party systems and different party types will be discussed, for example in terms of their organization, whether they are candidate centered or party centered, number of members and their policies. Questions will be raised about how easy it is for new parties to enter politics, whom or what groups parties represent and what is their role in modern democracies. We will discuss and analyse whether and how the structure of the society impacts the political behaviour of the public, party systems and political policies. The course will cover discussions about political cleavages, changes in the connection between political parties and voters and what are the main challenges which modern democracies are faced with.

This course on public policy has three parts: First, the introduction which focuses on two main areas: (a) theoretical background of public policy and the main theoretical approaches to explanatory analysis applied in social sciences, (b) competing views and interests considered regarding efficiency, equity, individual freedom and social cohesion when defining public policy objectives. Second, students will learn about policy issues in four different policy domains, i.e. climate change, health care, education and taxation. Third, the policy-making process will be studied with a particular focus on agenda-setting theories, i.e. how an issue gets onto the government agenda and what explains that sometimes an issue becomes realised but sometimes not, - and how various incentives and the public policy context affect policy implementation and outcomes.

The course is intended to introduce students to hybrid threats and hybrid warfare, that are increasingly prominent in security debates. Hybrid warfare has been utilized in war and conflict throughout history – to undermine adversaries, through disinformation and subversion. Modern technology and complex society have radically altered the scope and ease by which hybrid warfare can be employed. Different perpetrators can now pose such threats and engage in such warfare in more varied ways at less cost and risk.

Historical development will be introduced and current divergence, regarding hybrid warfare in the world, put into context of relevant theories of international relations. The main actors, their methods, and possible consequences will be studied, e.g., a serious threat to democracy. Also, the responses and resources brought to bear will be addressed, the problems that states and societies may find in planning their response and defence. Responses and remedies to hybrid threats will be addressed, the potential problems that may exist, as attacks and actions tend to undermine cohesion and promote fragmentation – which can further impede response.

The main objective of the course is to provide students with theoretic and practical tools to analyze the challenges, threats, and opportunities of constructing peace in the aftermath of war. What happens after the last shot is fired until sustainable peace is achieved? Through case-study analysis students will be able to identify and understand different stakeholders and spoilers of peacebuilding efforts as well as the lessons learned in the last 30 years of conflict intervention. Students will analyze why constructing a sustainable peace after armed conflict has proven to be so complex, despite the robust budgets and deployments, or the inclusion of components such as transitional justice, security sector reform, and development. Among the peace process that will be analyzed in class: South Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Timor Leste, Philippines, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, Mozambique, DR Congo, and Colombia

The aim of this course is to study the behavior and role of small states in the international system. The course deals with questions such as: What is a small state? What are the main constrains and opportunities of small states? Do small states behave differently in the international community from larger ones? The course offers an introduction to the literature on the state, the international system and small-state studies. The main emphasis, however, is on internal and external opportunities and constraints facing small states, for example how they are affected by and have responded to globalization, new security threats and the process of European integration. Special attention is devoted to Iceland and its reactions to economic crises and security threats. The course will also examine Iceland´s relations with the United States, China, Russia and the Nordic states, and its engagement with the European Union.

The aim of this course is to study strategies of small states to protect their interests and have a say in the international system. The course builds on the small state literature and examines whether small states tend to seek shelter, hedge, or hide in the international system. The focus is on the ability of small states to establish constructive relations with larger states and their power potential in international organizations. Special attention will be paid to current affairs and how a variety of small European states have been affected by and responded to the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The course will analyse crisis management in small states and how small states have responded to external crises, such as international economic crises and pandemics. The course examines small states’ methods to influence the day-to-day decision-making in the European Union. It studies the utilization of soft power by the smaller states, such as how small states use participation in the Eurovision Song Contest to enhance their international image. The course focus specially on small European states, in particular the five Nordic states. The course brings together some of the leading scholars in the field of small state studies and leadership studies by providing students with access to an online edX course on leadership in small states. The online edX course will supplement discussion in the classroom and cover in greater depth Small State Leadership in Public Administration and Governance; Small State Leadership in Foreign and Security Policy; Small State Leadership in Gender Policy; and Small State Leadership in International Diplomacy.

This course will provide an insight into recent and ongoing conflict in the world through the lens of peace and conflict studies. It starts with an introduction to the field of peace and conflict studies, setting the stage for an analysis of recent and ongoing conflicts with the help of guest lecturers with expertise in the relevant regions. The course concludes with an introduction to the field of conflict resolution and mediation. Likely topics will include Ukraine, Israel-Palestine, and Sudan, to name a few.

The workshop addresses common arrangements for the writing of BA-theses, the shaping of research questions, communication with advisors, the rights and obligations of students in the process of writing. Other practical issues on the writing and completion of BA-theses are addressed. Students attempt the operationalization and shaping of their research questions ins small groups and conclude the workshop by applying for an advisor, if they have not done so already.

Organized interest groups are an important element of politics that seek to influence the state and public decision making. The course looks into the role, power and methods used by interest organizations. It also looks at how these factors are shaped by the democratic context, the constitutional set-up of states and the tasks of governments. For these purposes students are introduced to theories on state power.. They also learn concepts and theories used by political scientists, to analyse state-societal relations. These include pluralism, elitism and corporatism; concepts that are also used by political scientists to study democracy and political power. Through comparisons and cases drawn from Iceland, Europe and the United States students seek to provide answers to the question of who rules, while also gaining an understanding of how democratic governments interact with interest organizations and the strategies of interest groups to influence policy outcomes.

This course introduces students to the dynamic and multifaceted field of security studies. It examines key questions central to the discipline: What is security? For whom is security intended? How is security defined and practiced? The focus of security studies centers around exploring these questions across various levels of analysis—individual, national, international, transnational, and global—as well as within distinct security domains, including political, military, economic, social, and environmental contexts.

1. Through theoretical frameworks and practical case studies, the course investigates how different approaches and levels of analysis shape our understanding of security challenges and solutions. Students will gain insights into both traditional and expanded notions of security, examining topics such as human security, cybersecurity, migration, climate change, and global health. By critically engaging with these dimensions, students will develop a deeper understanding of how security studies contribute to our practical knowledge and inform policies and strategies in addressing real-world challenges.

This is a basic course in public administration. Its aim is to provide students with insight into the problems of decision making and organising the public sector. The difference between the public sector and the private sector are discussed and the sense in which public administration is political in nature. The curriculum will be linked with the national and local administration in Iceland, where that applies.

The primary goal of the course is to give students the understanding and skills necessary to manage and even create their own career. In the course, students will have the opportunity to prepare for the changes that occur upon graduation and the task of finding employment or exploring the possibility of further education begins. The goal is for students to explore in what way their degree in political science has contributed to their career development and plan how they will apply their knowledge, skills, and competencies on the labour market. The course will introduce ways for students to increase their employability and what factors they should keep in mind when preparing for their career.

The course is applied in nature, with students given the opportunity to translate knowledge and competencies they have gained in political science to the applied environment of the labor market. Coursework is intended to increase self knowledge and increase the employability of students when they finish their degree with an emphasis on the skills to creatively and critically connect academic and applied knowledge to deal with the obstacles that they will face in their path to a successful and satisfying career.

The main objective of the course is to provide students with theoretic and practical tools to analyze the causes and outcomes of the main conflicts around the world in the last 30 years. Through case-study analysis, students will be able to identify and analyze different types of armed conflicts, the role of state and non-state actors involved, as well as conflict-resolution/peacebuilding initiatives.

Additionally the course assessess the effectiveness of UN interventions to counter the so called New Wars and changes in warfare (mercenaries, cyberwarfare).

Conflicts that may be analyzed in class include the Balkans, Russia‘s intervention in Ukraine, the war against terrorism in the Sahel, Somalia, China‘s expansion in the South China Sea, Philippines, Myanmar, Iraq, Libya, the rise of ISIS, and  Colombia

The workshop addresses common arrangements for the writing of BA-theses, the shaping of research questions, communication with advisors, the rights and obligations of students in the process of writing. Other practical issues on the writing and completion of BA-theses are addressed. Students attempt the operationalization and shaping of their research questions ins small groups and conclude the workshop by applying for an advisor, if they have not done so already.

BA Thesis.

BA Thesis.

BA Thesis.

The University of Iceland offers this transdisciplinary course for senior graduate students registered in all schools and disciplines across the University. The course is also open to students from all Aurora universities. The course combines online content, virtual sessions that take place over the semester, and a five-day capstone experience on-site at the university of Iceland.

Participants will gain insights into current and future challenges and learn about how these are being addressed. Participants will work in collaborative interdisciplinary teams under the guidance of experienced industry and academic leaders to apply their new knowledge toward developing their own recommendations for tackling immediate and foreseeable challenges. Students will gain a deeper understanding of their own strengths as well as developing methods and approaches for innovative thinking under the guidance of experienced teachers.

The course incorporates the approach of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which is part of the Aurora Competency Framework. This concept includes both social entrepreneurship, a way to achieve social change by employing entrepreneurial principles with or without the formation of new organizations, and social innovation, a process of developing and deploying effective solutions to challenging and often systemic social and environmental issues in support of social progress.

The course relies on brief assignments worked on during the virtual sessions, intense group work on the days of the on-site capstone session, and preparation of final deliverable, which is presented on the final day of the on-site session.

The course is 6 ECTS credits. Successful completion of the course depends on completion of the preparatory work, participation in the group work, and completion of a satisfactory final project and deliverable during the on-site capstone session.

It could be argued that the current political landscape is far from simple. When discussing contemporary politics, it is sometimes argued that the political system is broken and that politicians are not trustworthy because they don't practice what they preach. Not everyone agrees with this assessment and consider inconsistency to be a part and parcel of politics. Others, furthermore, think that moralism is not a virtue but rather something that undermines politics and political compromises. Accordingly, different groups commonly struggle to engage in dialogue without resorting to moral judgments.  

Furthermore, groups that want to undermine women’s rights and the rights of minorities have gathered momentum, and the idea of the strong man in politics seem increasingly popular. It appears that liberal democracy is under threat. Therefore, it is not surprising that people have started to ask: “What exactly is going on? Has democracy got any future?” 

In the course we will focus on political theories and ideas, such as conservatism, socialism, authoritarianism and political moralism, that allow us better understand currents trends in politics. In addition, the course will look into real examples from contemporary politics. The course material will feature works from renowned political scientists and thinkers who have extensively explored these subjects.   

Students will be trained in critical reasoning and analysis of contentious issues to provide a comprehensive understanding of these dynamics. The course is student-centric and will therefore involve active student participation.

The aim of this course is to examine fake news, information disorder and politics. Different concepts and definitions of fake news, as well as how they have developed over time, will be analyzed and discussed. What are the possible consequences of fake news and information disorder and to what extent has false and misleading information been used as a strategic tool in political campaigns?

The course examines how false and misleading information is spread, specifically via social media, by whom and for what purposes, and how governments have responded to an increase in false and misleading information. In addition to this, the course examines how third parties have attempted to use fake news to impact elections and public opinion in modern democracies.

This course will also cover the main challenges politicians face today with changes in the media and communication landscape, where the speed and scale of information often limits the time for contemplation and strategies to respond. At the same time, the boundaries between private and public life have been blurred, and news about what politicians say and do can spread to a great number of people in a very short amount of time.

This course examines how political information spreads through the media and what this information dissemination means for our understanding of politics. The course combines theoretical insights and empirical information from the fields of media studies, political science and journalism. Topics covered in the course include digital politics and communication,  how politicians and political parties use social media platforms, the crisis of politics and media in established democracies, mass media and the news production process, political parties and political marketing, election campaigns and politics as entertainment. Various case studies will be used to shed light on the topics under investigation, including how wars are depicted on social media, media reports concerning the Brexit referendum, how Donald Trump has used social media in his communication with the world, media coverage of COVID-19 and recent examples from Icelandic politics. Much of the material for this module is highly contemporary so students are encouraged to maintain an awareness of current developments in political communication through diverse news outlets.

Legislatures play an important role in democracies. They have legislative powers and sometimes governments also derive their powers from parliamentary majorities, which blurs the lines between the legislative and executive branches in such states. In addition, parliaments have an oversight role and serve as a forum for debates and the exchange of new ideas. Legislators represent voters and serve their interests, while at the same time being leaders in public policymaking and public debates. In the course, students will learn about the multifaceted roles of legislatures; the nature of representation and about the functioning of Alþingi, the parliament of Iceland. In the latter half of the course, attention is turned to recent democratic innovations, intended to involve citizens more directly into decision-making processes. Citizens assemblies and deliberative polls are examples of such undertakings. Among questions that are raised in the course are whether such democratic innovations have been successful and whether they can replace traditional representative democracy. The course combines theories and a practical approach to the subject field, preparing students for careers within legislatures, municipalities, NGO´s etc.

The course covers the institutions of American government: The U.S. constitution, congress, the judicial branch, the federal system and the states. There is also an emphasis on political parties, interests groups, elections and electoral behavior. Special emphasis is on the American presidency and how it has changed since the presidency of George Washington. The course will examine how the president has used his powers, especially in foreign affairs.

A point will be made to attempt to answer the following questions. Is big always more beautiful? How do national politics affect outcomes in local elections?  Has the local administration the strength and professional ability to deliver? Are “professional” mayors in anyway more capable than politically appointed mayors? Are there any reforms on the local government level in the foreseeable future?

The course is intended to introduce students to Icelandic local government. An overview of the principal functions and responsibilities of the Icelandic local government system will be given. Local politics, administration, democracy and legal aspects will be addressed during the course. 

A comparative assessment will be made of the Icelandic local government system and local government systems in Western Europe.  At last an overview of local government studies will be given.

This course will familiarize students with empirical and theoretical accounts of why, how and under what conditions collective non-state actors decide to employ terrorist violence. It will address the fundamental logic and reasons behind terrorism and how governments can counter the threat of terrorism and build successful counterterrorism strategies. The module’s emphasis lies on the principled interaction between terrorist organizations and the state, rather than the specific individuals involved forming a terrorist group. The module addresses briefly the history of terrorism; the four waves of terrorism, different trends and tactics and development of terrorist groups. We will look at how different political systems influence or prevent terrorism. Then terrorism will be put into context with decolonisation, foreign policy and civil wars with a special emphasis on understanding different theories of terrorism and applying them to modern terrorism.

This course introduces students to research on political economy with an emphasis on how the preferences of individuals and groups are transformed into public policies in democracies.We begin with the foundations of rational choice theories as they apply to voting, majority rule, party competition and collective action. Then we go on to analyze some of the key political institutions through which preferences are aggregated in democracies and, in particular, how they can shape incentives and policy outcomes. We will focus on two broad classes of outcomes: Why the size of the welfare state differs between democracies and why some states are economically more successful than others.

This course will serve as an introduction to the People’s Republic of China as a foreign policy actor on both regional (Asia-Pacific) and international levels. Beijing’s global interests will be examined first from an historical viewpoint, examining the evolution of the country’s external political concerns from the early and later Maoist eras through the Dengist reforms and the end of the cold war, to the current policies of Xi Jinping. The course will detail the main domestic actors responsible for Chinese foreign policymaking, including the Politburo Standing Committee, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Commerce, and the changing structure of the People’s Liberation Army and its main branches. The country’s impact on the emerging global economy, (including via the Belt and Road initiative), environmental cooperation, and legal regimes will also be assessed. 

Using Western and Chinese theoretical and empirical approaches to foreign policy studies, key case studies in China’s foreign affairs will be addressed, including relations with the United States and Japan, complex ties with Europe, and growing security concerns in East Asia, including maritime disputes in Western Pacific. 

The course discusses the philosophical and theoretical foundations of gender studies, and the critical and interdisciplinary content of the field. The representation and meaning of sex and gender in language, culture, history, science, and society is explored. The analytical perspective of the field is presented, as is its relationship with methodology. Students are trained in applying theoretical concepts and methods independently and critically.

Teaching Arrangement: The course is based on flipped learning, which means that all lectures will be available on Canvas. On-campus and distance students attend weekly discussion sessions at the university or on Teams, and online students participate in weekly discussions on Canvas.

Politics are about interactions between people, and as such, inevitably linked to psychology as it is the discipline of people's cognition, motivation, and behavior. In this course we will explore both how psychological factors impact political behavior as well as how political systems may impact people's cognition, emotion, and behavior. We will cover both classic and recent theories in political psychology. Emphasis will be on the following topics: Introduction to political psychology, personality and politics, media and the perception of politicians, ideology and political attitudes, emotions and politics, decision making, intergroup relations, prejudice and violence. Attendance is mandatory and active class participation is required.

The goal of the seven day field trip to Brussels is to learn about the organization and the activities of NATO, EFTA, ESA, EU, and the Icelandic Embassy. Politica, the political science students' association, organizes the field trip in agreement with the course supervisor.

This is an introductory course that sheds light on the history of LGBTQI people in Iceland, their experiences, movement, and culture. The history is placed in an international context and the main milestones in their fight for human rights are addressed, as are their legal rights. Important aspects of socialization are addressed, such as the forming of one’s identity and the development of visibility, relationships with families of origin and the search for one’s own family of choice. The difference between lesbian and gay studies and queer studies is addressed and theories on the shaping of sex, gender, and gender trouble are reviewed. The discourse between LGBTQ people and social institutions are covered, as is their condition and quality of life. The role of sexuality in cultural representations is examined, exemplified in how the reality of LGBTQI appears in arts and culture. 

The aim of the visit is to gain first hand knowledge of institutions and actors in the international system. The headquarters of the U.N. and the World Bank will be visited to learn about the role and activities of Iceland within the organizations. In addition the White House, and the Icelandic Embassy in D.C. will be visited in addition to other embassies and institutions. The visits introduce the institutions and their activities to the students from different points of view with the aim of aiding the students understanding of how the institutions function and how states' interestes are mediated within them. The field trip will offer the students a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the scholarly study of these institutions and how the function from a practical perspective.

The course covers the growing influence man has had on his natural environment, the political reaction to that development and the opposing views involved. The ideological basis of Environmental politics and its sociological background will be analysed through the lense of political theories. The growth of environmental grassroot movements and 'green' parties will be discussed as well as the growing emphasis on environmental issues in international politics. The main public policy measures to tackle environmental issues will be explored and conflicting viewpoints analysed. Additionally, the course covers international cooperation and international agreements on environmental issues.

The course offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of forced migration, tackling historical, political, and gendered aspects of the issue. Causes for why people flee their homes, such as societal collapse, wars, persecutions and an unstable economic situation, will be discussed. Special attention will be paid to refugees in Europe since the Second World War. The course will also study states’ responsibilities vis-à-vis refugees, taking into account international laws and regulations, as well responses and capabilities of European states to handle the current flow of refugees. The course will examine the concept of border control and its development in Europe, the Schengen cooperation, and Iceland’s membership of Schengen. Iceland’s policy on refugee matters will also be debated from a historical and social perspective, exploring future prospects of its development. The origin of the term refugee will be studied as well as international laws on the rights of refugees. Different roles that states, international organisations and NGO’s play are examined. The course will also explore the largest groups of refugees in the world today, e.g. women in Latin America, Muslim Rohingya people in SE-Asia and Syrians. Different causes underlying forced migration in these different parts of the world are discussed and put into perspective.

The aim of this unit are to provide a sound understanding of the principles of professional public relations, introduce specialized communication concepts and skills used in contemporary public relations practice, highlight the importance of strategic communications and crisis management and the role of social media in public relations.

The course deals with Russian government and and govenmental institutions and their develoment since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Discussion will focus on institutional transformation from Soviet times and until today and manifestations of power in the past and now. The role of the Russian presidency will be discussed, the development and influence of the Russian media, and how the interaction of political players with representatives of strong interest groups continuously influence and undermine political discourse. The rise of nationalism will be explored, the role of the orthodox church, active and passive political opposition and the growing isolation of Russia from the West. Finally Russia’s Soviet legacies will be examined and how discursive formations of the past are recycled and reproduced in contemporary dicourse.

Contrary to what might be expected from contemporary political discourse, fear, conspiracy theories and mistrust have characterized politics since time immemorial. In this course, we explore these phenomena from the interdisciplinary perspective of political psychology with support from other related disciplines. Initially, we will discuss trust in politics, politicians and citizens as an important but complicated concept within politics. We reflect on the byproducts of mistrust, such as the polarization of social groups and political participation. Next, students learn about the psychology of fear and its known effects on people's beliefs. The psychology of conspiracy theories, their causes and consequences for political behavior and attitudes will also be discussed.

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