LFU:online

§ 5 (1) 10 European Integration - Enhanced Level

Students are able to explain the functionality and differentiation of the political system of the EU. They discuss and answer questions illustrated by individual organs and institutions of internal and institutional decision-making processes and the characteristics of individual political fields.

How are policy decisions taken in the EU? How does variation in the rules governing decision-making lead to differences in outcomes and in the influence of actors? In this course, you will learn to analyse decision-making in the European Union. The course consists of three parts: Government, Politics, and Policies. The premise for the course is that although the EU is not a state, it can be analysed using standard theoretical tools from mainstream political science.

The course first explores the key institutions of the European Union involved in the legislative processes (the European Commission, the Council of the EU and the European Council, and the European Parliament). The course will devote specific attention on the three main policy crises challenging the entire European integration project. The Sovereign Debt crisis exposed the deficiencies of the original construction of the Economic and Monetary Union. The Schengen crisis revealed the weaknesses of the EU’s asylum regime and threatened to undermine free movement across the EU’s internal borders. Finally, a majority of UK voters in the Brexit referendum turned against the freedom of movement, a core principle of the internal market, and called for the UK to leave the EU.

By the end of the course, the students will be able to:

1. understand the institutional structure of the European Union,
2.  understand core processes of institutional, input and output politics of the EU political system,
3.  present concisely theories and arguments,
4. explain the most crucial crisis of the European integration process;
5.  learn a variety of methods that have become central to the study of European politics,
6. interpret statistical results,
7.  improve their written and oral communication skills.

The classes will be interactive, students are expected to participate in the lectures by providing original input and ideas. “Frontal” teaching will be only a partial component of the classes, that will develop through group exercises, Q/A and presentations.

The assessment includes three items: class presentation, powerpoint karaoke and a term paper.

• Class presentation: In order to prepare you optimally for your term paper I expect you to present the literature on the last day of the course. We will have the time for Q&A and peer feedback.
• PowerPoint Karaoke: Beginning in block 4 and continuing until block 12, students will explain and critically comment within five minutes the content of graphs, figures, tables and statistics of the readings. During each block the lecturer starts the presentation and integrates students’ comments in the lecture. It is important for passing the assessment that each student participates in the project.
• Term paper: The term paper is a literature review and should be between 3000 and 4000 words long. In the review, I would like you to answer a question based on reading a range of academic literature on a topic (You should pick one of the topics listed in the syllabus). In the literature review you should combine the insights, strengths and weaknesses of the literature to come to a conclusion.

This course does not have a textbook, but will draw mostly on Hix and Høyland (2011). For each session two academic texts (chapters or articles) will be assigned. You will use Perusall to read almost all the readings while helping each other, annotating the timelines, and responding to each other's annotations, questions, and other discussions.

successful completion of the compulsory modules 1, 2, 3 and 5

 This VU will be held in English