Module Directory

This module is about the interaction of political and economic processes in Europe. It builds on topics from GV952-7-AU, and applies them. We will examine topics like representative vs. direct democracy (is one inherently better than the other?), corruption (how to study and measure it), and social policies (which European countries provide more or less generous protections against risks such as sickness, unemployment, and old age, and what kind of tradeoffs a generous social safety net entails).

The second part of the module is devoted to studying the power-sharing arrangements in the European Union. We will examine under what circumstances member states decide to delegate powers to the EU level or alternatively re-nationalize supranational powers. The EU has been declared dead or ineffective many times but it has weathered the euro crisis, Brexit, the pandemic, and a number of other challenges. This begs the question under what circumstances EU crisis management is likely to work or fail. The module also provides an accessible introduction to research design and methods that political scientists have used to study 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:

1. 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 democratic theory, corruption, European Union politics, and social & economic policymaking in Europe.


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


3. Demonstrate their analytical and writing skills, by composing short response papers, an essay, and peer review comments, and tailoring their writing to different audiences.

Syllabus

• Week 16: Direct Democracy and Referendums


• Week 17: Corruption in Europe


• Week 18: Varieties of Capitalism and Skill Regimes


• Week 19: The Welfare State and Welfare State Retrenchment 


• Week 20: Central Banks


• Week 21: The European Union – politics and crisis management


• Week 22: Disintegration Dynamics in the EU


• Week 23: EU Trade Policy


• Week 24: TBA


• Week 25: Presentations of student draft papers & peer review

The module will be delivered via:

• 2 hour seminar, in person (on campus)