The course structure covers the party as an object of study, parties in interaction and parties as organizations that influence the quality of democratic performance. The course is dedicate to familiarize students with the origins of parties, their organisational structure and ideological profiles. There are 3 main sections of topics. The first part overviews the origin, type, organization and the ideological profile of parties. The second block looks at parties in interaction, revealing the patterns within a party and electoral system. The third section will discuss the importance of parties as institutions that represent citizens.