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Regular version of the site

Political System of the European Union

2023/2024
Academic Year
ENG
Instruction in English
4
ECTS credits
Course type:
Elective course
When:
4 year, 1, 2 module

Instructor

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The class aims at explaining how the EU works as a political system. Thus, the class takes a comparative politics perspective with regard to the European Union trying to avoid views which consider the EU either as something unique and in need of its own theories and approaches to be studied and understood or as an international organization comparable to other organizations present on the international arena. Taking the assumption that political systems as such can exist in settings others that a state as a starting point, in this class we propose to analyse the EU institutional architecture and policies resorting to the tools of comparative politics and mid-range theorizing. The first half of the class deals with the separation of powers in the EU whereas the second half examines the EU political system’s output, that is the supranational policies produced by the EU. This approach to teaching and studying the EU was proposed by Simon Hix and Bjorn Hoyland in 2011.
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • The class aims at explaining how the EU works as a political system.
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • Is able to retrieve, collect, process and analyze information relevant for achieving goals in the professional field
  • Is able to execute applied analysis of the political phenomena and political processes - by using political science methods - and in support of practical decision making process
  • Is able to work in team
  • Is able to conduct professional activities internationally
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • Institutional Architecture of the EU
  • EU Policy Process
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Seminar Participation
    20% comes from the students’ work in class during the seminars (which, of course, includes the assessment of their quantitative and qualitative contribution to the discussions, etc).
  • non-blocking Exam
    The exam adds the last 20% to the overall grade. The exam comes in the form of a test. This test consists of two parts and lasts 1 hour 20 minutes. Part one is a simple one correct answer quiz. Part two consists of open questions where students have to demonstrate their deeper knowledge of the subject. The instructors might decide to exempt students from taking the exam at the end of the course. This decision is to be announced at the very last class of the course.
  • non-blocking Team presentation
  • non-blocking Team essay
    20% comes from the team essay which students write together based on their group presentation. The essay has to elaborate upon the topic chosen for the group presentation and has to review academic literature on the topic. It can also cover media materials and other primary sources if relevant. The team essay (total word count is 3000-3500 words inclusive of citations (Chicago in-text citations); with bibliography excluded) is to be submitted to the DG instructor in 2-day time after the very last DG of the course via e-mail. If plagiarism is found in the essay, the student responsible for the respective part of the essay gets 0 points. All other members of the team get the uniform grade as if plagiarism was not found.
  • non-blocking Weekly quizzes
    Every Seminar starts with a brief 8-minute 10-question multiple choice quiz to check if students mastered the compulsory readings for the class. These quizzes amount for 20% of the grade for the class.
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • 2023/2024 2nd module
    0.2 * Exam + 0.2 * Seminar Participation + 0.2 * Team essay + 0.2 * Team presentation + 0.2 * Weekly quizzes
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Andreas Staab. (2013). The European Union Explained, Third Edition : Institutions, Actors, Global Impact. Indiana University Press.
  • Blanke, H.-J., Mangiameli, S., & Adriaanse, P. (2012). The European Union After Lisbon : Constitutional Basis, Economic Order and External Action. Berlin: Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1245090
  • The Oxford handbook of the European Union / ed. by Erik Jones . (2012). Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.370910133

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • 9781317208594 - Leonard, R. L.; Taylor, Robert - The Routledge Guide to the European Union - 2016 - Routledge - http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1240129 - nlebk - 1240129

Authors

  • SORBALE ALEKSEY BORISOVICH