GV952-7-AU-CO:
Comparative European Politics I
2024/25
Government
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 13 December 2024
15
22 April 2024
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
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
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.
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.
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.
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
The module will be delivered via:
- 2 hours, in person (on campus)
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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://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.4145316&site=eds-live.
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Przeworski, A. and Teune, H. (1982) 'Chapter 2 - Research Designs', in The logic of comparative social inquiry. Malabar, Fla: R.E. Krieger.
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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://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edshol&AN=edshol.hein.journals.compls40.3&site=eds-live.
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Gerring, John (2007) 'Is There a (Viable) Crucial-Case Method?',
Comparative Political Studies, 40(2007), pp. 231–253200740. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edshol&AN=edshol.hein.journals.compls40.22&site=eds-live.
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Lipset, S.M. and Rokkan, S. (1967) Party systems and voter alignments: cross-national perspectives. New York, NY: Free Press.
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Kitschelt, Herbert (2000) 'Linkages between Citizens and Politicians in Democratic Polities',
Comparative Political Studies, 33(2000), pp. 845–879200033. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edshol&AN=edshol.hein.journals.compls33.46&site=eds-live.
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Hooghe, L. and Marks, G. (2018) 'Cleavage theory meets Europe's crises: Lipset, Rokkan, and the transnational cleavage',
Journal of European Public Policy, 25(1), pp. 109–135. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2017.1310279.
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Anthony Downs (1957) 'An Economic Theory of Political Action in a Democracy',
Journal of Political Economy, 65(2), pp. 135–150. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.1827369&site=eds-live.
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Bonnie M. Meguid (2005) 'Competition between Unequals: The Role of Mainstream Party Strategy in Niche Party Success',
The American Political Science Review, 99(3), pp. 347–359. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.30038944&site=eds-live.
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Green, J. and Jennings, W. (2012) 'Valence as Macro-Competence: An Analysis of Mood in Party Competence Evaluations in Great Britain',
British Journal of Political Science, 42(2), pp. 311–343. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123411000330.
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Kitschelt, H. (1988) 'Organization and Strategy of Belgian and West German Ecology Parties: A New Dynamic of Party Politics in Western Europe?',
Comparative Politics, 20(2). Available at:
https://doi.org/10.2307/421663.
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Bryan Caplan (2007) 'Introduction to The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies', in
The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies. Princeton University Press. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.h.pup.chapts.8384.1&site=eds-live.
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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://doi.org/10.1017/gov.2014.13.
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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://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.cup.apsrev.v111y2017i01p54.67.00&site=eds-live.
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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.
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Borchardt, K. (1991)
Perspectives on modern German economic history and policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511622304.
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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.
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Bustikova, Lenka (2014) 'Revenge of the Radical Right',
Comparative Political Studies, 47(12), pp. 1738–1765. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edshol&AN=edshol.hein.journals.compls47.75&site=eds-live.
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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.
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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://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.194001&site=eds-live.
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John M. CareySimon Hix (2011) 'The Electoral Sweet Spot: Low-Magnitude Proportional Electoral Systems',
American Journal of Political Science, 55(2), pp. 383–397. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.23025058&site=eds-live.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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://doi.org/10.1353/jod.1991.0033.
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Alejandro Portes (2000) 'The Two Meanings of Social Capital',
Sociological Forum, 15(1), pp. 1–12. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.3070334&site=eds-live.
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Berman, Sheri (1997) 'Civil Society and the Collapse of the Weimar Republic',
World Politics, 49(3), pp. 401–429. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edshol&AN=edshol.hein.journals.wpot49.22&site=eds-live.
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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.
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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.
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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/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.20032579&site=eds-live.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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SETALA, M. (2006) 'On the problems of responsibility and accountability in referendums',
European Journal of Political Research, 45(4), pp. 699–721. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6765.2006.00630.x.
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Gherghina, S. (2017) 'Direct democracy and subjective regime legitimacy in Europe',
Democratization, 24(4), pp. 613–631. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1080/13510347.2016.1196355.
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De Vreese, C.H. (2006) 'Political Parties in Dire Straits?',
Party Politics, 12(5), pp. 581–598. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068806066787.
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Hobolt, S.B. (2006) 'Direct democracy and European integration',
Journal of European Public Policy, 13(1), pp. 153–166. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1080/13501760500380825.
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McKay, A. (2012) 'Buying Policy? The Effects of Lobbyists' Resources on Their Policy Success',
Political Research Quarterly, 65(4), pp. 908–923. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/1065912911424285.
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Klüver, H. (2013) 'Lobbying as a collective enterprise: winners and losers of policy formulation in the European Union',
Journal of European Public Policy, 20(1), pp. 59–76. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2012.699661.
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Nathalie Giger and Heike Klüver (2016) 'Voting Against Your Constituents? How Lobbying Affects Representation',
American Journal of Political Science, 60(1), pp. 190–205. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.24583058&site=eds-live.
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Hall, P.A. and Soskice, D.W. (2001)
Varieties of capitalism: the institutional foundations of comparative advantage. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/39694.
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Estevez-Abe, Margarita (2006) 'Gendering the Varieties of Capitalism. A Study of Occupational Segregation by Sex in Advanced Industrial Societies',
World Politics, 59(1), pp. 142–176. Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edshol&AN=edshol.hein.journals.wpot59.9&site=eds-live.
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Jackson, Gregory and Deeg, Richard (2006) 'How Many Varieties of Capitalism? Comparing the Comparative Institutional Analyses of Capitalist Diversity.' Available at:
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.p.zbw.mpifgd.062&site=eds-live.
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 |
|
20% |
| Coursework |
Short response paper 2 |
|
20% |
| Coursework |
Grant Proposal |
|
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
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Alexandra Hennessy, email: alexandra.hennessy@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Alexandra Hennessy
Please contact govpgquery@essex.ac.uk
Yes
No
Yes
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
Government
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
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