University of Essex

GV952-7-AU-CO:
Comparative European Politics I

The details

Year: 2024/25

Department: Government

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Autumn

Level: Postgraduate: Level 7

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 03 October 2024

End date: Friday 13 December 2024

Credits: 15

Last updated: 13 August 2024

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): (none)

Key module for

MA L24012 Global and Comparative Politics,
MA L240EB Global and Comparative Politics,
MA L240EK Global and Comparative Politics,
MSC L24012 Global and Comparative Politics,
MSC L240EB Global and Comparative Politics,
MSC L240EK Global and Comparative Politics

Module description

This module is about democratic political processes in Europe. The first part will be devoted to studying the origins of party systems, the impact of different electoral systems on party competition, and linkages between citizens and politicians in West and East European countries. In the second part, we will analyse the rise of populist and extremist parties, democratic backsliding, and institutional mechanisms that constrain political officials. The module also provides an accessible introduction to research design and methods that political scientists have used to address these topics.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

To enable students to develop their thinking with a sound knowledge of contemporary European politics and to write clearly and logically about the advantages and limitations of comparative research.

To provide students with the opportunity to understand the linkages between empirical facts and abstract concepts.

To enable students to retrieve, synthesise and critically evaluate information from diverse sources.

To provide an overview of writing effectively for different audience.

To provide students with the opportunity to revise written work based on feedback.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

Demonstrate a sound knowledge of contemporary European politics and understand the advantages and limitations of comparative research. Specifically, participants will become familiar with important academic debates in political party behaviour, the rise of extremism, democratic backsliding, and accountability mechanisms.

Critically assess the validity of conflicting theoretical claims and arguments on the basis of appropriate empirical evidence.

Demonstrate their analytical and writing skills, by composing short response papers and a grant application, and tailoring their writing to different audiences and reflect on the skills they are bringing to a research project.

Module information

Syllabus

Week 2: Methods and Concepts of Comparative Research

Week 3: Social Cleavages and Party Systems

Week 4: Dynamics of Party Competition

Week 5: Populist Parties and Linkages between Voters and Citizens

Week 6: Economic Crises and the Rise of Radical Right Parties

Week 7: Electoral Systems

Week 8: Sources of Polarization and Depolarization

Week 9: Social Capital

Week 10: Democratic backsliding

Week 11: Unitary States, Federal States, Devolution, and Bicameralism

Learning and teaching methods

The module will be delivered via:

2 hours, in person (on campus)

Bibliography

Munck, Gerardo L.Snyder, Richard (2007) ‘Debating the Direction of Comparative Politics: An Analysis of Leading Journals’, Comparative Political Studies, 40(2007), pp. 5–31200740. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414006294815.
Gerring, John (2007) ‘Is There a (Viable) Crucial-Case Method?’, Comparative Political Studies, 40(2007), pp. 231–253200740. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414006290784.
Przeworski, A. and Teune, H. (1982) ‘Chapter 2 - Research Designs’, in The logic of comparative social inquiry. Malabar, Fla: R.E. Krieger.
John Gerring (2004) ‘What Is a Case Study and What Is It Good for?’, The American Political Science Review, 98(2), pp. 341–354. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055404001182.
Gonzalez-Ocantos, Ezequiel (2020) ‘Designing Qualitative Research Projects: Notes on Theory Building, Case Selection and Field Research’, in The SAGE Handbook of Research Methods in Political Science and International Relations. Available at: https://sk-sagepub-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/reference/the-sage-handbook-of-research-methods-in-political-science-and-ir/i1616.xml.
Kitschelt, Herbert (2000) ‘Linkages between Citizens and Politicians in Democratic Polities’, Comparative Political Studies, 33(2000), pp. 845–879200033. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/001041400003300607.
Hooghe, Liesbet and Marks, Gary (2018) ‘Cleavage theory meets Europe’s crises: Lipset, Rokkan, and the transnational cleavage’, Journal of European Public Policy, 25(1). Available at: https://doi-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/13501763.2017.1310279.
Bryan Caplan (2007) ‘Introduction’, in The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies. Princeton University Press, pp. 1–4. Available at: https://search-ebscohost-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=329683&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_1.
Moffitt, B. (2015) ‘How to Perform Crisis: A Model for Understanding the Key Role of Crisis in Contemporary Populism’, Government and Opposition, 50(2), pp. 189–217. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26350371.
Cas Mudde (2004) ‘The Populist Zeitgeist’, Government and Opposition, 39(4), pp. 541–563. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/44483088.
Caramani, Daniele (2017) ‘Will vs. Reason: The Populist and Technocratic Forms of Political Representation and Their Critique to Party Government’, American Political Science Review, 111(1). Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26288979.
Rydgren, J. (2007) ‘The Sociology of the Radical Right’, Annual Review of Sociology, 33(1), pp. 241–262. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.33.040406.131752.
Borchardt, K. (1991) Perspectives on modern German economic history and policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511622304.
McGann, A.J. and Kitschelt, H. (2005) ‘The Radical Right in The Alps’, Party Politics, 11(2), pp. 147–171. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068805049734.
CUSACK, T.R., IVERSEN, T. and SOSKICE, D. (2007) ‘Economic Interests and the Origins of Electoral Systems’, American Political Science Review, 101(3), pp. 373–391. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055407070384.
G. Bingham Powell, Jr.Georg S. Vanberg (2000) ‘Election Laws, Disproportionality and Median Correspondence: Implications for Two Visions of Democracy’, British Journal of Political Science, 30(3), pp. 383–411. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/194001.
Schleiter, P. and Tavits, M. (2016) ‘The Electoral Benefits of Opportunistic Election Timing’, The Journal of Politics, 78(3), pp. 836–850. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1086/685447.
McCoy, J. and Somer, M. (2019) ‘Toward a Theory of Pernicious Polarization and How It Harms Democracies: Comparative Evidence and Possible Remedies’, The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 681(1), pp. 234–271. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716218818782.
Bonotti, M. et al. (2018) ‘In Defence of Political Parties: A Symposium on Jonathan White and Lea Ypi’s’, Political Studies Review, 16(4), pp. 289–305. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1478929918755662.
Sunstein, C.R. (2002) ‘The Law of Group Polarization’, Journal of Political Philosophy, 10(2), pp. 175–195. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9760.00148.
Craiutu, Aurelian (2018b) ‘The Meaning of Partisanship. By Jonathan White and Lea Ypi. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016. 288p. $90.00 cloth.’, Perspectives on Politics, 16(1), pp. 180–182. Available at: https://www-cambridge-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/the-meaning-of-partisanship-by-jonathan-white-and-lea-ypi-oxford-oxford-university-press-2016-288p-9000-cloth/40DCC75E3C1C15A1F798586C90B35664?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=bookmark.
Craiutu, Aurelian (2018a) ‘Response to Jonathan White and Lea Ypi’s review of Faces of Moderation: The Art of Balance in an Age of Extremes’, Perspectives on Politics, 16(1), pp. 179–180. Available at: https://www-cambridge-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/response-to-jonathan-white-and-lea-ypis-review-of-faces-of-moderation-the-art-of-balance-in-an-age-of-extremes/C46BDDD1739136A47631822488BE5211?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=bookmark.
Schmitter, P.C. and Karl, T.L. (1991) ‘What Democracy Is. . . and Is Not’, Journal of Democracy, 2(3), pp. 75–88. Available at: https://muse-jhu-edu.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/article/225590/.
‘`Bowling alone’: Frame II.’ (1996) Wilson Quarterly, 20(Issue 2). Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=9604244016&site=eds-live.
Alejandro Portes (2000) ‘The Two Meanings of Social Capital’, Sociological Forum, 15(1), pp. 1–12. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3070334.
Berman, Sheri (1997) ‘Civil Society and the Collapse of the Weimar Republic’, World Politics, 49(3), pp. 401–429. Available at: https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/wpot49&i=454.
Gesthuizen, M., van der Meer, T. and Scheepers, P. (2009) ‘Ethnic Diversity and Social Capital in Europe: Tests of Putnam’s Thesis in European Countries’, Scandinavian Political Studies, 32(2), pp. 121–142. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9477.2008.00217.x.
Waldner, D. and Lust, E. (2018) ‘Unwelcome Change: Coming to Terms with Democratic Backsliding’, Annual Review of Political Science, 21(1), pp. 93–113. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-050517-114628.
Larry Diamond (2008) ‘The Democratic Rollback: The Resurgence of the Predatory State’, Foreign Affairs, 87(2), pp. 36–48. Available at: https://search-ebscohost-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=31029404&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295.
Kelemen, R.D. (2017) ‘Europe’s Other Democratic Deficit: National Authoritarianism in Europe’s Democratic Union’, Government and Opposition, 52(2), pp. 211–238. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/gov.2016.41.
Blauberger, M. and Kelemen, R.D. (2017) ‘Can courts rescue national democracy? Judicial safeguards against democratic backsliding in the EU’, Journal of European Public Policy, 24(3), pp. 321–336. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2016.1229357.
Bogdanor, V. (2005) ‘CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM IN BRITAIN: The Quiet Revolution’, Annual Review of Political Science, 8(1), pp. 73–98. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.polisci.8.082103.104930.
Heller, W.B. (2007) ‘Divided Politics: Bicameralism, Parties, and Policy in Democratic Legislatures’, Annual Review of Political Science, 10(1), pp. 245–269. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.polisci.10.071105.112758.
Thorlakson, L. (2003) ‘Comparing federal institutions: Power and representation in six federations’, West European Politics, 26(2), pp. 1–22. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/01402380512331341081.
Fabbrini, S. (2003) ‘Bringing Robert A Dahl’s Theory of Democracy to Europe’, Annual Review of Political Science, 6(1), pp. 119–137. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.polisci.6.010302.115514.

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Deadline	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Short Response Paper 1	21/10/2024	20%
Coursework	Short response paper 2	18/11/2024	20%
Coursework	Grant Proposal	09/12/2024	60%

Exam format definitions

Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Dr Alexandra Hennessy, email: alexandra.hennessy@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: Dr Alexandra Hennessy

Contact details: Please contact govpgquery@essex.ac.uk

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: No

Available to Audit: Yes

External examiner

Name: Dr Kyriaki Nanou

Institution: Durham University

Academic role: Associate Professor in European politics

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: Of 20 hours, 20 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

Further information

Department website: Government

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Module Directory

GV952-7-AU-CO:Comparative European Politics I