Course Description and Objectives:

Europe is rapidly changing. On the 9^th of November 1989, the Iron Curtain fell with the opening of the Berlin Wall. Europe once divided throughout the 2^nd half of the 20^th century between a communist East and a democratic West started again to draw closer to each other. Thus, the study of European politics today is the exploration of politics “from the Atlantic to the Urals”. The objective of the course is to equip students with a broad overview of the politics and political systems of Europe as a whole, as well as on concepts, methods, and tools to understand and analyze contemporary developments.

The course engages two key questions. First, at the national level, what factors explain the different political and economic outcomes we observe in European states? Second, at the supranational level, what is the European Union and how does it influence European politics today? To answer these two questions, the course will follow a mixed thematic and country-specific framework. It will explore topics such as political institutions (e.g. electoral systems, regime types, and federalism), party systems and economic and social interest groups. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden and Poland will be used as the primary case studies. Furthermore, the course will investigate both the development of European integration in historical perspective and the political institutions and processes of the EU. Current events will be emphasized throughout the term.

European Politics University of Oregon Spring 2012

Upon the completion of this course, students will be able to engage questions such as:

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How do European states differ? How are they similar?

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How similar to or different from the United States is Europe?

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What are Europe’s major political party families?

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What are the differences between political parties and interest groups?

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What are the differences in electoral rules (e.g. plurality, proportional, mixed-member proportional systems)?

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What are the advantages and disadvantages of (semi-)presidential and parliamentary systems?

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What role does the state play in economic regulation? What is meant by corporatism?

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How do the legal systems vary across Europe? What is the extent of the powers of the European courts when it comes to constitutional oversight? What role does the European Court of Justice play?

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What is meant by a return to Europe and to diversity?

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What were the challenges of the post-communist era?

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What is an ‘acquis communitaire’?

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How did the European Union come about?

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How does the European Union function? What is its role in the everyday politics of Europe?

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Who are the main political actors in Europe today?

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What are the future challenges of Europe?

Required Texts:

Two books are required for the course. Additional readings will be made available. All the readings are REQUIRED and I retain the right to examine you on issues raised in any of the readings. A few additional readings for future study or personal interest are listed at the end of the syllabus.

Required Books:

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Crepaz, Markus M. L., and Jürg Steiner. 2011. European democracies. Boston: Longman.

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Hancock, M. Donald. 2012. Politics in Europe : an introduction to the politics of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Poland, and the European Union. Washington, D.C.: CQ.

One copy of each of these two required books will also be on hand for a 4-hour loan period at the library’s course reserve.

All other readings will be made available on Blackboard.

To stay abreast of recent events in Europe and to apply your knowledge gained in class, daily reading of major European news sources, such as the BBC, The Economist, Financial Times, the Guardian, is HIGHLY recommended and encouraged. Two useful sources for EU news are the European Voice and the EU Observer, which are some of the very few genuinely European media. They are available on-line at: http://www.europeanvoice.com/ and http://euobserver.com/

European Politics University of Oregon Spring 2012

A non-exhaustive list of some major news sources can be found at the end of the syllabus. In any case, make ABSOLUTELY sure to follow the news in one way or another (newspapers, TV or internet). Ignorance is not always bliss.

Expectations & Requirements:

This is a 300-level course, which involves a mixture of lectures and discussions and a heavy load of reading. Throughout the term I expect you to come to class having read and thought about the assigned readings, to demonstrate an understanding of the material, actively participate in the class discussions and make thoughtful contributions that benefit the class.

Students are expected to attend ALL class sessions in order to receive full credit for taking this course. I retain the right to take class attendance on a regular basis. If a class date is problematic for you or unforeseen circumstances hinder you to attend class, please come see me. I will be more than happy to talk to students during office hours and will be available to talk after class. Please do not email me with technical questions that can be answered with a more careful reading of the syllabus and the assignment sheets.

Written Assignment: Each student will be required to write a 6 to 8 pages long research paper. An additional reference page is required. Papers should be double-spaced with margins of 1 inch to each side. To write a good research essay, you will need to spend some time in the library researching your topic and to use citations properly where appropriate.

You are free to choose your own research topic. However, your topic needs to either focus on one of the major themes discussed in the course or on one of the European countries. Thus, the breath of the paper is up to you. You can focus broadly on the whole terrain of Europe today (i.e., critiquing the EU or the EMU), or you can focus on a particular country or issue (i.e. European immigration, European defense policy, Polish transition to liberal democracy, corruption in Italy, etc.). If you are unsure about your topic, please make sure to talk to the instructor or one of the GTFs.

Moreover, many students tend to think that a research paper in political science is a long, descriptive report of some event, phenomenon, person or country. This is a dangerous misconception and nothing could be further from the truth. Descriptive reporting is only a small part of a political science research paper. You need, above all, to think and write analytically, i.e. you need to come up with a research question and/or puzzle that is not only important to you but to a larger community of scholars and make a clear argument. Consequently, while acknowledging that other possible explanations exist, you need to show that both your preferred logic and the data supporting it are stronger than any competing perspective’s framework and its sustaining evidence. It is pretty difficult to develop a clear research question and to make an argument concisely in taking into account not only what you think but also what other people (might) argue. Thus, make sure to start early on your project.

You will be required to turn in a fully developed draft in class by week 7 (May 17) of the term. In addition to the hard copy, you are required to upload a copy of your draft on Blackboard by the same deadline.

You will have to cite at least five academic sources, i.e. articles out of academic journals or academic books, beyond those listed in the syllabus.

The use of Wikipedia or a related site is unacceptable beyond employing it as a starting point similar to an encyclopedia. It is a bad idea to cite Wikipedia in any of your courses. Additionally,

European Politics University of Oregon Spring 2012

don’t cite lecture notes as sources. Make sure to proofread! Spell checks can and do fail. If there are significant spelling and grammatical mistakes throughout the assignment, you will be graded down. A good paper is a well-written paper which avoids grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.

Naming of Files: When saving a file make ABSOLUTELY sure to be very clear and specific. Many students tend to name their files only "Essay.doc" or "Research.doc". Of course, this is very confusing for the recipient of your document. Use a consistent and clear system. This will help you to remember what the file is about months and years down the road and make communication with others easier. Make certain to include your name, year, title of your document and course number/name:

Hoffmann(2012)-PS324-FlyingPigs-Europe’sDebtCrisisinComparativePerspective-Draft[1]

Commenting on draft papers: You are required to comment on three drafts posted by your colleagues on Blackboard. Please make sure when making suggestions for improvements that they are constructive and realistic.

Please be aware that minimum requirements are as the term indicates MINIMUM requirements to not fail the assignment. In short, do NOT expect to receive an outstanding grade for simply having done the minimum.

Additional information regarding the written assignment will be provided in the first class session.

Midterm and Final: These exams are meant to test your knowledge of the material presented during this course. They are comprehensive and cumulative, i.e. the exams will draw on the entirety of the lectures, readings and other materials presented in the class. Details on the format of the exams will be announced in class.

Give 24 hours advance notice or formal doctor’s letter for excused absence or assignment extension. No other extensions or absences will be excused. Late assignments lose a half letter grade each day. First half-grade is deducted on day of deadline for assignments turned in after class.

Students with learning disabilities will be accommodated in accordance with university guidelines. Please speak with me during the first week of class.

Check your email every day. This is not optional at a modern university. I will often send you information on scheduling, corrections to lectures, and other messages that you need to see. It is your responsibility to check your email. Once I have sent you a message, I assume that you have that information.

Some advice: Do not hesitate to contact the instructor and / or GTFs for assistance with your research paper or for other questions. We are there to help you to succeed and make the best out of your learning experience. In short, come see and talk to us during office hours or send us an email. Be active in class, ask questions, and share your concerns. Chances are if you are confused about an issue, there are other students in the class that share your confusion. Last but not least, find a study partner. This will pay off in the long run. You can study together, share notes, and help each other with the assignments, e.g. help each other proofread or constructively critique the structure and information provided in your research paper.

European Politics University of Oregon Spring 2012

Moreover, if you are having difficulty writing or just want to improve your paper, you might want to take advantage of the services offered by the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) located in 68 PLC.

Classroom Etiquette:

Students are expected to conduct themselves professionally as adults. You are expected to be in class on time. If due to unforeseen circumstances, you arrive late or need to leave early, please do so with the least amount of interruption for the class, e.g. take the first seat available / sit close to the door. The central premise regarding classroom etiquette is to respect others by practicing simple manners.

Cell phones: Please remember to turn off your cell phone before class and exams. If your cell phone rings in class it is not the end of the world, just try to turn it off as soon as possible. If you need to take an important call, please leave the room. DO NOT text, check Facebook or listen to music with headphones during class. When doing so you are obviously not participating in the class or contributing to the learning environment. Most importantly, however, you are doing yourself a disservice by dividing your attention and giving your colleagues and the instructor the impression that you are rude.

Laptops: Feel free to bring your laptops to class for taking notes. However, out of courtesy, please refrain from playing on-line games, surfing the net non-stop or sending emails to the instructor or GTFs during lecture. In doing so, you might easily distract your fellow students sitting beside or behind you and portray yourself as unprofessional.

Please treat the other students in the course with respect. If you are participating in a debate, please criticize your opponent’s arguments rather than the opponent’s identity. If you come to class late or need to leave early, please do so in a quiet manner so as not to disrupt the classroom environment. If you need to say something to your neighbor, whisper it or write a note – those sitting nearby will thank you for your courtesy.

Grading Procedures:

There is no curve in this course. All assignment and exam grades throughout the term and the overall course grade will be calculated on a 100 point scale and calibrated as follows:

A+	97.50 -100			A	92.50 – 97.49			A	89.50 – 92.49
B+	87.50 – 89.49			B	82.50 – 87.49			B	79.50 – 82.49
C+	77.50 – 79.49			C	72.50 – 77.49			C	69.50 – 72.49
D+	67.50 – 69.49			D	62.50 – 67.49			D	59.50 – 62.49
F			Below 59.49 points
Activity			When Due					% of Course Grade
Participation			On-going					Varies; being quiet can’t hurt you, but strong participation can bump up your grade
Term Paper Draft			May 17					10%
Comments on Drafts			May 24					10%
Term Paper			June 7					30%
Midterm			May 3					20%
Final			Thursday, June 14 at 08:00					30%

European Politics University of Oregon Spring 2012

Regrading of assignments: You may request the regrading of materials that have been graded by the instructor or one of the GTFs. Any request has to be made in writing by providing a brief explanation of why you wish to have the assignment regraded.

Incompletes: Incompletes will only be granted in exceptional emergency situations (such as death in the immediate family or serious illness – family visits, weddings, etc., do not count), when the relevant assignment(s) cannot be completed in time. In all other cases the grade will be based upon the work completed by the end of the quarter, which may result in a failing grade. The grade “I” for an incomplete may be assigned only after instructor and student have completed and signed a Contract for Grade of Incomplete which makes arrangements for the unfinished work to be completed. The Contract from is available on the Political Science website at http://polisci.uoregon.edu .

Academic Integrity, Plagiarism, Fabrication, Cheating, and Misconduct:

Any form of plagiarism or cheating will not be tolerated. When you hand in an assignment, make sure that everything in it is your own work and that you have made the appropriate references where necessary. It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes plagiarism. Neither ignorance nor the lack of an intention to cheat or plagiarize will be considered a legitimate defense. Violations will be punished to the full extent possible. Raise any questions and concerns you have with the instructor before problems arise. To learn more about the University Policy on Academic Dishonesty, read it at http://ww.uoregon.edu/~conduct/sai.htm and check out the libraries’ description of plagiarism at http://libweb.uoregon.edu/guides/plagiarism/students/ .

Course Schedule:

Date			Class			Assignment for Class
	Week 1
April 3			Syllabus review / Introduction to class: How different is Europe from the United States?			Baldwin, Peter. 2011. The narcissism of minor differences : how America and Europe are alike. New York; Oxford: Oxford University Press. Introduction & Chapters 1,3,4,10 and 17: pp. 1 – 39, 60 – 90, 163 – 175 and 243 -249 Crepaz, Markus M. L., and Jürg Steiner. 2011. European democracies. Boston: Longman. Chapter 1: 1 -15 Hancock, M. Donald. 2012. Politics in Europe : an introduction to the politics of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Poland, and the European Union. Washington, D.C.: CQ. Introduction: pp. 1 -12 Hoffmann, Leif. 2011. Becoming exceptional? American and European exceptionalism and their critics: A Review. L'Europe en formation (359): pp. 83 -106. Kagan, Robert. 2002. Power and Weakness: Why the United States and Europe see the world differently. Policy Review (113):3 -28.
April 5			How different is Europe from the United? (continued)			Catch up with reading or read ahead
	Week 2
April 10			Political Parties & Electoral Rules			Crepaz, Markus M. L., and Jürg Steiner. 2011. European democracies. Boston: Longman. Chapter 2 & 3: pp. 16 -75

April 12			Case Study: Politics in the United Kingdom			Hancock, M. Donald. 2012. Politics in Europe : an introduction to the politics of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Poland, and the European Union. Washington, D.C.: CQ. Part 1: pp. 13 – 106
	Week 3
April 17			Executives & Bureaucracies			Crepaz, Markus M. L., and Jürg Steiner. 2011. European democracies. Boston: Longman. Chapter 4: pp. 76 114
April 19			Case Study: Politics in France			Hancock, M. Donald. 2012. Politics in Europe : an introduction to the politics of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Poland, and the European Union. Washington, D.C.: CQ. Part 2: pp. 107 -210
	Week 4
April 24			Federalism and subnational governments			Crepaz, Markus M. L., and Jürg Steiner. 2011. European democracies. Boston: Longman. Chapter 6: pp. 124 -135
April 26			Case Study: Politics in Germany			Hancock, M. Donald. 2012. Politics in Europe : an introduction to the politics of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Poland, and the European Union. Washington, D.C.: CQ. Part 3: 211 – 309
	Week 5
May 1			Courts			Crepaz, Markus M. L., and Jürg Steiner. 2011. European democracies. Boston: Longman. Chapter 5: pp. 115 – 123 Tiersky, Ronald, Erik Jones, and Saskia van Genugten. 2011. Europe today : a twenty-first century introduction. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Chapter 11: pp. 351 -369
May 3			MIDTERM			Catch up with reading or read ahead
	Week 6
May 8			The State and the economy			Crepaz, Markus M. L., and Jürg Steiner. 2011. European democracies. Boston: Longman. Chapters 7 & 8: pp. 136 -171 Tiersky, Ronald, Erik Jones, and Saskia van Genugten. 2011. Europe today : a twenty-first century introduction. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Chapter 9: pp. 303 – 326
May 10			Case Study: Politics in Sweden			Hancock, M. Donald. 2012. Politics in Europe : an introduction to the politics of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Poland, and the European Union. Washington, D.C.: CQ. Part 5: 435 – 497

	Week 7
May 15			Eastern Europe: Communism, the end of the Cold War and Transitions to Democracy			Crepaz, Markus M. L., and Jürg Steiner. 2011. European democracies. Boston: Longman. Chapters 10 – 13: pp. 193 -282 Drakulic, Slavenka. 1999. Café Europa : life after communism. New York: Penguin Books. Chapters 1 – 3: pp. 1 -21 Drakulic, Slavenka. 2011. A guided tour through the museum of communism : fables from a mouse, a parrot, a bear, a cat, a mole, a pig, a dog, and a raven. New York: Penguin Books. Chapters 1, 4 – 5: pp. 1 – 25, 79 -124 Wolchik, Sharon L. 2011. Central and East European politics : from communism to democracy. Lanham [u.a.]: Rowman & Littlefield. Chapters 1 – 2: 3 – 51
May 17			Film: Behrman, Kevin, Russo, Gary. 2002. The fall of Communism. Oak Forest, Ill.: MPI Home Video.			Catch up with reading or read ahead
	Week 8
May 22			The Return to Europe			Catch up with reading or read ahead
May 24			Case Study: Politics in Poland			Hancock, M. Donald. 2012. Politics in Europe : an introduction to the politics of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Poland, and the European Union. Washington, D.C.: CQ. Part 7: pp. 565 -619
	Week 9
May 29			Origins and Developments of the European Union			Crepaz, Markus M. L., and Jürg Steiner. 2011. European democracies. Boston: Longman. Chapters 14: pp. 283 – 307 Hancock, M. Donald. 2012. Politics in Europe : an introduction to the politics of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Poland, and the European Union. Washington, D.C.: CQ. Part 8: pp. 621 -705
May 31			How the European Union works Film: Ruiz, Wilson R. 2007. Crossroads Inside the European Union. Part 2			Catch up with reading or read ahead

	Week 10
June 5			Quo vadis Europe? – The challenges and future of European (Union) politics			Crepaz, Markus M. L., and Jürg Steiner. 2011. European democracies. Boston: Longman. Chapters 15: pp. 308 – 326 Hill, Steven. 2010. Europe's promise : why the European way is the best hope in an insecure age. Berkeley: University of California Press. Intro & Chapters 1, 7, 8, and 9: 1 – 32, 125 -178 Moravcsik, Andrew. 2010. Europe, the Second Superpower. Current History (March):91 -98. Tiersky, Ronald, Erik Jones, and Saskia van Genugten. 2011. Europe today : a twenty-first century introduction. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Chapter 10 & 13: 327 – 350, 399 -432
June 7			Quo vadis Europe? (continued)			Catch up with reading
	Week 11
June 14 (Thursday) 08:00			FINAL			Note different time!

Recommended Readings:

Fabbrini, Sergio. 2007. Compound democracies: why the United States and Europe are becoming similar. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

McNamara, Kathleen R. 1998. The Currency of Ideas: Monetary Politics in the European Union. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

Moravcsik, Andrew. 1998. The choice for Europe : social purpose and state power from Messina to Maastricht. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press.

Parsons, Craig. 2003. A certain idea of Europe. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press.

Pinder, John, and Simon McDougall Usherwood. 2007. The European Union : a very short introduction. 2nd ed. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.

Rothschild, Joseph, Wingfield, Nancy M. 2008. Return to Diversity: A political history of East Central Europe since WWII. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Recommended Movies:

(Firm), Films for the Humanities & Sciences. 2007. Helmut Kohl : [videorecording] German Giant. New Jersey: Films for the Humanities and Sciences.

Ghizzardi, Sergio. 2008. Economic and monetary union [videorecording] : 10th anniversary of the euro. Luxembourg: European Communities.

Henckel von Donnersmarck, et al., Filmproduktion Berg, Productions Buena Vista International Film, Rundfunk Bayerischer, Arte, Film Creado, Classics Sony Pictures, and Entertainment Sony Pictures Home. 2007. Das Leben der Anderen The lives of others. [München]; Culver City, CA: Wiedemann & Berg Filmproduktion ; Distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Hughes, Kathleen, et al. 2006. Young, Muslim, and French. Princeton, N.J.: Films for the Humanities & Sciences.

Redhead, Mark, et al., Classics Paramount, Entertainment Portman, Television Granada, Council Film, hÉireann Bord Scannán na, Kitchen Hell's, and Video Paramount Home. 2003. Bloody Sunday. [Hollywood, Calif.]: Paramount Home Entertainment.

Useful Websites:

Websites listing hundreds of newspaper from around the world:

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http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/

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http://www.newspapers.com/

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http://www.refdesk.com/paper.html

North Atlantic Treaty Organization:

� http://www.nato.int/

The European Union On-line:

� http://europa.eu/

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

� http://www.osce.org/

Eurostat – European Statistical Office

� http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/porta l/page/portal/eurostat/home/

Freedom House:

� http://www.freedomhouse.org

Transparency International:

� http://www.transparency.org/

World Bank

� http://www.worldbank.org/

World Trade Organization:

� http://www.wto.org/

U.S. Census Bureau:

� http://www.census.gov/

CIA – The world factbook:

� https://www.cia.gov/library/publicati ons/the-world-factbook/index.html

International IDEA Voter Turnout Database:

� http://www.idea.int/vt/

World Values Survey:

� http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/

Official British government website for citizens:

� http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.ht m

Official website of the British prime minister:

� http://www.number10.gov.uk/

Official website of the French president:

http://www.elysee.fr/accueil/

French interministerial portal for government websites:

� http://www.servicepublic.fr/accueil/english.html

Bundesregierung (Website of German government):

� http://www.bundesregierung.de/Web s/Breg/EN/Homepage/home.html

Germany.info – German Embassy in Washington D.C.:

� http://www.germany.info/relaunch/in dex.html

Website of Russian president:

� http://president.kremlin.ru/eng/

Government of Romania:

� http://www.guv.ro/engleza/

Government-maintained website on Poland:

� http://www.poland.gov.pl/

Government of the Czech Republic:

� http://www.vlada.cz/defaultEN.html

The Republic of Slovenia:

� http://www.gov.si/

Government Portal Ukraine:

� http://www.kmu.gov.ua/control/en

Government of Bulgaria:

� http://www.government.bg/

Government of Belarus:

� http://www.government.by/en/eng_n ews.html

Government of the Republic of Croatia:

� http://www.vlada.hr/en

Presidency of Albania:

� http://www.president.al/

Government of the Republic of Lithuania:

� http://www.lrv.lt/main_en.php

Government of Slovakia:

� http://www.government.gov.sk/engli sh/

Hungary:

� http://www.magyarorszag.hu/english

Serbian Government:

http://www.srbija.sr.gov.yu/

Government of the Republic of Estonia:

� http://www.valitsus.ee/

Republic of Montenegro:

� http://www.me/english/naslovna/index .htm

The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia:

� http://www.mk.gov.lv/index.php/en

Government of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina:

� http://www.fbihvlada.gov.ba/english/i ndex.php

Republic of Moldova:

� http://www.moldova.md/en/start/

BBC (UK):

� http://news.bbc.co.uk Warsaw Business Journal (Poland):

�

http://www.wbj.pl/ Financial Times (UK):

� http://www.ft.com

Le Monde (France):

� http://www.lemonde.fr/

France 24:

� http://www.france24.com/en/

Der Spiegel (Germany)

� http://www.spiegel.de/

Blic (Serbia)

�
http://english.blic.rs/

Slovenian Press Agency (Slovenia):
http://www.sta.si/en/ The Diplomat (Romania):

� http://www.thediplomat.ro/

Slovakia Today:

� http://www.sktoday.com/

Budapest Sun (Hungary)

� http://www.budapestsun.com/

EU Observer (European Union):

� http://euobserver.com/

The European Voice (European Union):

� http://www.europeanvoice.com/

Bulgaria News Network:

�
http://www.bgnewsnet.com/

Prague Daily Monitor (Czech Republic):

� http://www.praguemonitor.com

New Warsaw Express (Poland):

� http://nwe.pl/

The Baltic Times:

� http://www.baltictimes.com/

Ukrainian Journal:

� http://www.ukrainianjournal.com

Albania Daily News:

� http://www.albaniannews.com/

Bosnian Institute News:

� http://www.bosnia.org.uk/news/news_ list.cfm

Additional websites will be introduced throughout the term.