LFU:online

§ 7 (1) 5. b. SE European Integration I: Theories and Politics in Global Contexts (2 / 4)
Students are able to reconstruct, analyze and evaluate theoretical models and conceptual proposals concerning EU integration in order to promote an understanding of integration and cooperation processes. They know and are able to characterize the features of the political system of the EU, including inter-institutional negotiation and decision-making processes, functional specialization, the embedding of the EU in international contexts such as the WTO and the UN, and cooperation between the EU and other states and international organizations

The Seminar reconstructs, analyses and evaluates theoretical models and concepts on European integration. The seminar will concentrate on definitions and hypotheses with regard to the characteristics of the EU's political system including the process of interinstitutional negotiation and decision-making, the differentiation of the EU's functional scope, the EU's inclusion within wider contexts such as the WTO or the UN, and the cooperation between the EU and third countries and organisations. Overall, the seminar will discuss theoretical approaches to EU integration and their application with regard to the institutional, procedural, and functional dimension:

- Neofunctialist, Federalist and Neorealist approaches

- Multi-Level Governance in polyarchic systems

- Inter- und intrainstitutional dynamics of the EU

- Working mechanisms of the EU institutions

- Institutional and procedural characteristics of EU politics in the member states

- NGOs and the EU

- Presentation of short papers on the basis of the literature compiled for the seminar

- weekly drafting of eminar papers on the basis of the literature compiled for the seminar

- Independent elaboration of case studies for the analysis of different theories

Oral presentation + Position paper/Abstract + Written paper

Bieling/Lerch (Hrsg.): Theorien der europäischen Integration, Wiesbaden 2012

Pollack/Slominski: Das politische System der EU, UTB 2012

Hix/Hoyland: The political system of the EU, Palgrave 2011

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