EUROPEAN POLITICS

EUROPEAN POLITICS

POLITICAL SCIENCE 8240

Spring Semester 1999

Dr. William M. Downs

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The principal aim of this course is to achieve an advanced understanding of major theoretical, empirical, and substantive issues in contemporary European political systems. A comparative methodological approach will encourage critical thinking about key trends and controversies, and it will enable students to assess the performance of individual political systems in relation to broader patterns in both Europe and North America. Readings will introduce a variety of approaches and methods employed in comparative political analysis. Among the topics covered by readings and discussions will be the following:

domestic influences on US-European relations (political, economic, military)
party systems and coalition government
right-wing extremism
green politics (rise of ecologist or left-libertarian parties)
promises and pitfalls of European welfare states
political control over national economic policy making
territorial decentralization
pan-Europeanism (i.e., European integration)

Regarding the last item in this list, the course provides analysis of the political and economic rationales for the European Union, evidence on the development of trade and growth in the EU, details of the Single Market program, analysis of convergence and disparities within the EU and prospects for EU enlargement by integration of Central European economies. Focus will be on integration theory and measurement and analysis of EU policy making illustrated with current issues such as Economic and Monetary Union and employment.

TEXTS AND COURSE MATERIALS
Urwin, Derek W. 1997. A Political History of Western Europe Since 1945, 5^th edition. London: Longman.

Laver, Michael and Norman Schofield. 1990. Multiparty Government: The Politics of Coalition in Europe. New York: Oxford University Press.

Taylor, Paul. 1996. The European Union in the 1990s. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Anderson, Christopher. 1995. Blaming the Government: Citizens and the Economy in Five European Democracies. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe.

Burgess, Michael and Alain-G. Gagnon, eds. 1993. Comparative Federalism and Federation: Competing Traditions and Future Directions. New York: Harvester Wheatsheaf.

Feigenbaum, Harvey B. and Jeffrey R. Henig. 1998. Shrinking the State: The Political Underpinnings of Privatization. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Notes on Articles and Chapters: Additional readings will come from select journal articles and book chapters, which will be made available to you. Unless otherwise indicated, all required journal articles and book chapters are on reserve at Library South. Moreover, we may decide to distribute a copy of the following week's reading at each seminar session--allowing those who wish to then arrive at their own system for copying and circulation. Those for whom neither of the above systems works may be able to check materials out for 2-hour periods from the file holder on my office door.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING SYSTEM

Review Papers: Students will write two discussion papers (each approximately 1250 words in length) during the course of the semester.

Essay 1 (peer reviewed essay): You will write an essay on an assigned question/topic arising from the material being discussed for that particular week. The review essay will challenge you to focus on a single or a series of theoretical or methodological questions or criticisms. This essay will then be reviewed (one-page, typed reviews) by two of your colleagues. These will then be presented in class using the following rules: one of the reviewers will present your paper, another will critique it. You, then, will be given an opportunity to respond. The process is intended (1) to stimulate wider discussion and collective thinking about the literature and (2) to socialize you into the professional style of intellectual exchange. Each essay is due by 5:00 Monday, the day before each seminar session. Copies are to be given at that time to me and should also be distributed to all remaining seminar members via e-mail. Reviews are due in class the day of the presentation. Following the presentation, you should revise the paper and turn in the final version to me at the next class. I will take into account the reviewers comments when grading the paper myself, though I will also make my own assessment.

Essay 2: You will write a second essay on a question/topic of your own choosing arising from the material being discussed for that particular week. Again, you will be asked to raise a single or a series of theoretical, substantive, and/or methodological points deriving from your reading. The points should be ones designed to contribute to broader seminar-wide discussion. At the seminar session itself, essay writers will be allocated 15-20 minutes to present their argument. Each essay is due by 5:00 Monday, the day before each seminar session. Copies are to be given at that time to me and should also be distributed to all remaining seminar members via e-mail.

Research Paper: An original research paper addressing one of the areas emphasized in this seminar is required and due at the end of the semester (April 27 no later than 5:00, without exception). A one-page prospectus (clearly stating the research question, principal hypothesis, and methods) is due on March 2. The final product should take the form of a conference paper or journal article; in other words, it should be about 20 pages in length, contain a review of the relevant literature, and be written in the professional style of the American Political Science Association. You will present this paper in class and have it critiqued by a fellow student, and you will also critique the paper of another student. The objective of this is not the production of research design, but rather research. You may use whatever methodology you feel is most appropriate to the issue and which you feel qualified to implement. I will not be impressed by inept quantitative analysis, nor will I penalize competent historical, philosophical or case-study approaches.

Exam: The final exam for this course is scheduled for May 5 (8:30-10:30 p.m.). This exam will measure your ability to synthesize the various and often competing theoretical approaches to European politics.

Participation: I expect the course to be conducted as a seminar. That means that you need to talk as much as I do. Members are thus expected to attend all class sessions and to participate actively at each. Seminar participants must complete the assigned readings on time and contribute thoughtfully to class discussions.

Grade: The final seminar grade will be determined on the basis of the following weights:
Review Essay 1 10%

Review Essay 2 10%

Participation 20%

Research Paper 35%

Final Exam 25%

SCHEDULE:

Section I: Introduction

January 12 Introduction to European Politics and Political Economy

Introductory comments and discussion of course format.
Framing of central issues and questions. January 19 Historical and Institutional Foundations of Democracy in Europe

Urwin, Political History of Western Europe, Chapters 1-5, 10
Václav Havel, "The Hope for Europe," The New York Review of Books (June 20, 1996)
Lane & Ersson, "Historical Legacies," in European Politics, Chapter 1
Smith, "Politics and Society," in Politics in Western Europe

Section II: Players, Institutions, and Rules of the Game

January 26 Structuring Institutions: The Territorial Axis

Burgess and Gagnon, eds., Federalism and Federation: Competing Traditions and Future Directions (1993), Chapters 1-6, 9-10, Conclusion [Chapters 7-8, 11-13 passim].
Smith, "The Territorial Axis," in Politics in Western Europe

Supplementary Reading:

Ingemar Elander. "Analysing Central-Local Government Relations in Different Systems: A Conceptual Framework and Some Empirical Illustrations." Scandinavian Political Studies 14:1 (1991): 31-58.
Ivo D. Duchacek, Comparative Federalism: The Territorial Dimension of Politics. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970.

February 2 Structuring Interests: Parties and Party Systems

Alan Ware, Political Parties and Party Systems, Introduction & Chapters 1-3
G. Ross, "Party Decline And Changing Party Systems - France And The French Communist-Party," Comparative Politics 25:1 (1992): 43-61.
J. A. Schlesinger and M. S. Schlesinger, "Dual-ballot elections and political parties - The French presidential election of 1995," Comparative Political Studies 31:1 (1998): 72-97.
K. Deschouwer, "Political-Parties And Democracy - A Mutual Murder," European Journal Of Political Research 29:3 (1996): 263-278.

February 9 Structuring Power: Making and Breaking Governments

Laver and Schofield, Multiparty Government

Supplementary reading:

Laver, Michael and Kenneth A. Shepsle. 1996. Making and Breaking Governments. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Downs, William M. 1998. Coalition Government, Subnational Style: Multiparty Politics in Europe’s Regional Parliaments. Columbus: Ohio State University.

Section III: Domestic Political Economy

February 16 Politics, Economics and the Structure of Credit and Blame

Anderson, Blaming the Government
Urwin, Political History of Western Europe, Chapters 11-12, 17

February 23 Public Sector Politics and the European Welfare State

Vincent Wright, "Reshaping the State: The Implications for Public Administration." West European Politics 17:3 (July 1994): 102-137.
B. Guy Peters, "What Future for the Welfare State?" in European Politics Reconsidered (New York: Holmes & Meier, 1991): 220-255.
Giandomenico Majone, "The Rise of the Regulatory State in Europe." West European Politics 17:3 (July 1994): 77-101.
J. G. Andersen, "The Scandinavian Welfare Model In Crisis - Achievements And Problems Of The Danish Welfare-State In An Age Of Unemployment And Low Growth," Scandinavian Political Studies 20:1 (1997): 1-31.

March 2 Reinventing Government: The Politics of Privatization

Feigenbaum and Henig, Shrinking the State

March 9 Spring Break

Section IV: Politics and Policy in the European Union

March 16 Integration and European Union Politics I

Urwin, Political History of Western Europe, Chapters 6-10, 13-14
Taylor, European Union in the 1990s

Supplementary Reading:

M. J. Gabel, "The Endurance Of Supranational Governance - A Consociational Interpretation Of The European Union," Comparative Politics 30:4 (1998).

March 23 Integration and European Union Politics II

Alec Stone Sweet and Wayne Sandholtz, "European Integration and Supranational Governance," in European Integration and Supranational Governance (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998): 1-44.
J. Pinder, "Economic And Monetary Union - Pillar Of A Federal Polity," Publius-the Journal Of Federalism 26:4 (1996): 123-140.
"The Euro." Europe (September 1997).
David N. Balaam and Michael Veseth. "The European Union: The Economics and Politics of Integration," in Balaam and Veseth, Introduction to International Political Economy (1996): 217-240.

Section V: Deepening and Widening

March 30 Dealing with Immigration and Unemployment

Urwin, Political History of Western Europe, Chapter 15
J. Money, "No Vacancy - The Political-Geography Of Immigration Control In Advanced Industrial-Countries," International Organization 54:4 (1997).
W.D. Chapin, "Auslander Raus - The Empirical Relationship Between Immigration And Crime In Germany," Social Science Quarterly 78:2 (1997): 543-558.
M. Baimbridge, B. Burkitt, and M. Macey, "The Maastricht Treaty - Exacerbating Racism In Europe," Ethnic And Racial Studies 17:3 (1994): 420-441.
Herbert Kitschelt, The Radical Right in Western Europe, Chapter 1

April 6 Environmental Politics and the Greens

R. Rohrschneider, "New Party Versus Old Left Realignments - Environmental Attitudes, Party Policies, And Partisan Affiliations In 4 West-European Countries," Journal Of Politics (August 1993) 55:3. 682-701.
D. Jahn, "The Rise And Decline Of New Politics And The Greens In Sweden And Germany - Resource Dependence And New Social Cleavages," European Journal Of Political Research 24:2 (1993): 177-194.
E.G. Frankland, "Green Revolutions - The Role Of Green Parties In Eastern-Europe Transition, 1989-1994," East European Quarterly 29:3 (1995): 315-345.

April 13 Politics of Expansion: Europe Moves Eastward

Urwin, Political History of Western Europe, Chapters 18, 20-22
R. E. Baldwin, "The Eastern Enlargement Of The European Union," European Economic Review 39:3-4 (1995): 474-481.
C. Preston, "Obstacles To EU Enlargement - The Classical Community Method And The Prospects For A Wider Europe," Journal Of Common Market Studies 33:3 (1995): 451-463.
Primary documents: http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg1a/enlarge

April 20 Wither the Atlantic Alliance? US-EU Relations in the 1990s and Beyond

A. Bailes, "Europe Defense Challenge - Reinventing The Atlantic Alliance," Foreign Affairs 76:1 (1997).
J.R. Oneal and P.F. Diehl, "The Theory Of Collective Action And NATO Defense Burdens - New Empirical Tests," Political Research Quarterly 47:2 (1994): 373-396.
M. Smith and S. Woolcock, "Learning To Cooperate - The Clinton Administration And The European Union," International Affairs 70:3 (1994): 459-476.
Urwin, Political History of Western Europe, Chapter 23

April 27 Research Papers due

May 5 Exam (8:30-10:30)

Note: This course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary.

Note: Students are responsible for the information contained in the Academic Honesty policy found in On Campus.