EUROPEAN UNION

EUROPEAN UNION

POLITICAL SCIENCE 4242

Spring Semester 2000

Tuesday, Thursday 9:30-10:45

529 General Classroom Building

Dr. William M. Downs

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course offers an introduction to the politics and economics of the European Union (EU). It covers the institutions, decision-making processes and major policies of the EU. It further examines the emerging role of a more united Europe as a political actor in world affairs. Topics include the evolution of the "European idea," European political cooperation, monetary union, common foreign and security policy, and the European security and defense identity. The course explores the political dynamics of decision-making among member states and institutions, including the European Council, European Commission, European Parliament, and European Court of Justice. The course then examines EU policies toward key regions such as Africa, the Middle East and the post-communist east, including the former Yugoslavia, as well as the role(s) of the European Union within the United Nations and other multinational organizations. It concludes with a look at the "New Transatlantic Agenda" (US-EU relations) and the challenges of future enlargement.

This course counts as credit toward the new European Union Studies Certificate being offered by the University System of Georgia. The purpose of the certificate is to "certify" a student as competent in a subject area outside conventional majors. As such, students are being prepared to move into professional occupations and graduate study. If you are looking to start a career in international relations, business, law, or education, studying the European Union is where you want to be.

TEXTS AND COURSE MATERIALS

The following texts are required reading and are available for purchase:

Neill Nugent. 1999. Government and Politics of the European Union. 4^th edition. Durham: Duke University Press.

Brent Nelsen and Alexander Stubb, eds. 1998. The European Union: Readings on the Theory and Practice of European Integration. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner.

Henri J. Warmenhoven, ed. 1999. Global Studies: Western Europe, 6^th edition. Guilford, CN: Dushkin.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING SYSTEM

Students will be evaluated along four dimensions. One half of your grade will be determined by a midterm exam (20%) and a final exam (30%). The remainder of your grade will be determined by scores on four take-home assignments (35%), regular and active class participation (10%), and contributions to electronic bulletin board discussions (what we will call "e-participation," worth 10%--which builds in 5 bonus points).

Attendance. This is a lecture-discussion course. Students are thus expected to attend all class sessions and will sign an attendance sheet at each class. Students who miss more than two classes will lose 2% of the final course grade for each additional class missed, up to a total of 10%. Absences for medical reasons or for attending an official university sponsored inter-collegiate event (but not a practice) will be excused only when accompanied by a written note from the attending physician (one week following absence) or team coach (one week prior to event).

Class Participation. Students must complete the assigned readings on time, and actively participate in class discussions. To stay abreast of developments in the European Union, students should follow current events through the reading of a major newspaper and/or newsmagazine, such as the New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, The Financial Times, and The Economist. All of these papers are available for free on the World Wide Web. Current events will be discussed throughout the course and may also be part of the exams. You may also easily access newspapers in European countries via such sites as http://www.lib.virginia.edu/wess/news.html as well as the European Union’s own television broadcasts at http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/dg10/ebs/index_en.html. Additionally, you can watch "European Journal," which airs each Sunday locally on WPBA 30.

Examinations. Two in-class examinations, consisting of a midterm exam and comprehensive final, will constitute 50% of each student's grade. The exams will consist of a mix of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. Material discussed in class and as well as material covered in required readings will appear on the exams.

Written Assignments. At the beginning of the semester, students will select one European Union Member State that will subsequently be the focus of four take-home written assignments worth a total of 35% of your grade. This country will be your "alter ego" for the semester, as you attempt to interpret European developments and dilemmas through the lens of that country’s interests. You will receive full details of each assignment closer to each respective due date. Please note that you will have a choice of topics for assignment 4 (half of the class will write on one topic due March 18, while the other half of the class will write on a different topic due March 20). These assignments will require each student to use traditional research methods, such as library research, and newly emerging research tools, such as the World Wide Web.

Paper 1 (January 20): Member State Background Paper

Paper 2 (February 8): Analysis of 1999 European Parliament election in Member State

Paper 3 (February 29): Think piece--Will monetary union succeed or fail?

Paper 4a (April 18): Debate—Do the benefits outweigh the costs of adding new members? or

Paper 4b (April 20): Debate—Is the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) a failure?

E-Participation. The course makes use of WebCT software for online learning activities. The primary tool we will use is the electronic bulletin board (i.e., a text-based communication system that enables students and the professor to post, and reply to, messages on various topics that are open to everyone in the course. Each of your classmates and yourself can read and post to these discussions. Five percent of your course grade will be earned by responding to assignments that I post on the bulletin board. An additional (yes, bonus!) 5% may be earned by some combination of the following:

introducing 3 websites that expand upon course reading
raising and/or responding to question(s) posed by current event(s)
raising and/or responding to question(s) posed by readings

Please note that e-participation points will not be granted if activity is but a flurry at end of semester. Details of how to use WebCT will be provided early in the semester. You can access the course page at http://webct2.gsu.edu/public/POLS4242wmd/index.html. You will be provided with a password to gain access.

GSAMS Broadcasts. The class will make use of interactive videoconferencing technology available through the Georgia Statewide Academic and Medical System (GSAMS). Five GSAMS broadcasts are scheduled for our course this semester, allowing us to link up directly with scholars and policymakers who have intimate knowledge about the workings of the European Union. Each of these broadcasts is scheduled to take place in 150 College of Education. Your attendance at these broadcasts is mandatory.

Office Hours. I keep office hours each Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00-3:30. This time is set aside for your benefit. If you have questions, concerns, or ideas related to the course, I encourage you to discuss them with me. If these hours conflict with your schedule, we can arrange an appointment to meet. Additionally, since we are making use of WebCT tools for this course, an online "chat room" has been established for collective discussions during those posted office hours. I will be logged on to the chat room during those hours and will be available to address topics of your interest.

Grade Distribution:

Paper 1 5%

Paper 2 10

Paper 3/Debate 10

Paper 4/Debate 10

Attendance and Class

Participation 10

E-participation 5 (+5 bonus)

Midterm 20

Final Exam 30

105%

FYI: You should periodically check http://www.gsu.edu/~polwmd/page.html for additional resources.

SCHEDULE

January 11 Introduction to Course

Why study the European Union?
Objectives and format of course
European Union Studies Certificate Program

PART I: THE HISTORICAL EVOLUTION

January 13 Out From the Rubble and Ashes--The Transformation of Western Europe

Global Studies, "Centuries of Commonalities and Conflict," pp. 3-47
Nelsen and Stubb, Readings:
Rossi and Spinelli, "The Ventotene Manifesto," pp. 3-6
Churchill, "The Tragedy of Europe," pp. 7-11

18 A "United States of Europe"? Antecedents of European Unity

Scheduled: GSAMS broadcast

Mr. Adrian Taylor, Scholar-in-Residence at EU Center of Georgia

(meet in 150 College of Education)

Nugent, Chapters 1-2
Nelsen and Stubb, Readings:
Schuman, "The Schuman Declaration," pp. 13-14
Monnet, "A Ferment of Change," pp. 19-26

From European Community to European Union

Nugent, Chapters 3-4
Nelsen and Stubb, Readings:
De Gaulle, "A Concert of European States," pp. 27-44
Thatcher, "A Family of Nations," pp. 49-54
Delors, "A Necessary Union," pp. 55-68

Assignment 1 Due: Member State Background Paper

25 Maastricht and Amsterdam Treaties

Nugent, Chapter 5
See treaty text at:

http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/treaties/dat/eu_cons_treaty_en.pdf

EU Enlargement

Scheduled: GSAMS broadcast

Dan Marek, Palacky University (Czech Republic),

meet in 150 College of Education

Global Studies , "The Hope for Europe," pp. 166-169

Global Studies, "Well-oiled independence," pp. 240-243

Read "Introductory chapters" at http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/index.htm

Recommended websites for Part I:

Western Europe Since 1945 http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook49.html

The History of Europe -- Primary Documents http://library.byu.edu/~rdh/eurodocs/ec.html

Official European Union website http://europa.eu.int/

The European Union in the US http://www.eurunion.org/

EU Center of the University System of Georgia http://www.inta.gatech.edu/eucenter/home.html

Europe on the Internet http://www.eurunion.org/magazine/9702/p06/p06-9702.htm

European Maps and Basic Facts http://www.asg.physik.uni-erlangen.de/europa/eugmape1.htm

PART II:

THE INSTITUTIONS AND POLITICAL ACTORS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

February 1 The Commission and the Politics of Supranationalism

Nugent, Chapter 6

Nelsen and Stubb, Readings:

Lindberg, "Political Integration: Definitions and Hypotheses," pp. 145-156

http://www.eurunion.org/magazine/9910/who.htm

Council of Ministers and the European Council—Intergovernmentalism at Work

Nugent, Chapters 7-8
Nelsen and Stubb, Readings:
Hoffmann, "The Fate of the Nation-State," pp. 157-171

European Parliament and the "Democratic Deficit"

Nugent, Chapter 9

Global Studies, "Europe United, But Who Runs It?" pp. 170-171

Global Studies, "A Shifting Tide in Europe," pp. 176-180

"The European Parliament: Past, Present, and Future" http://www.eurunion.org/magazine/9905/parliament.htm

Assignment 2: Analysis of 1999 European Parliament election in your selected Member State

10 Institutions in Crisis?

Scheduled: GSAMS broadcast

Joanna Apap, European Citizen Action Service,

meet in 150 College of Education

15 European Union Law and the Courts

Nugent, Chapter 10
Nelsen and Stubb, Readings:
Burley and Mattli, "Europe Before the Court: A Political Theory of Legal Integration," pp. 241-271

Stateless Nations in Europe and the Committee of the Regions

Nugent, Chapter 11 (pp. 279-293)

Downs, EU working papers series http://www.inta.gatech.edu/eucenter/wpapers/pdf/downs.pdf

22 Reform of the EU

Scheduled: GSAMS broadcast

Miguel Mesquita, Forward Studies Unit of the European Commission,

meet in 150 College of Education

24 European Central Bank and the Single Currency in Action

Global Studies, "Euro Era Begins," pp. 171-173
Nelsen and Stubb, Readings:
Balassa, "The Theory of Economic Integration," pp. 173-185
Tsoukalis, "Economic and Monetary Union," pp. 335-344

29 Monetary Union Debate

"What the Euro Means to the US," http://www.eurunion.org/magazine/9806/p12/p12-9806.htm

Europe Magazine Special Report: Everything You Need to Know about the Euro http://www.eurunion.org/magazine/eurospec.htm

Assignment 3: Will monetary union succeed or fail?

Recommended websites for Part II:

European Commission http://europa.eu.int/comm/index_en.htm

Council of the EU http://ue.eu.int/en/summ.htm

European Parliament http://www.europarl.eu.int/sg/tree/en/default.htm

Court of Justice http://curia.eu.int/en/index.htm

Eur-Lex (European Union Law) http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/index.html

Committee of the Regions http://www.cor.eu.int/

European Central Bank http://www.ecb.int/

March 2 Midterm

7 Spring Break

Spring Break

PART III:

POLICIES AND POLICY PROCESSES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

March 14 What the EU Does—Jurisdiction and a "Creeping Competence"

Nugent, Chapter 12

Contemporary Policy Crisis: "Food Scare" http://www.eurunion.org/magazine/9909/food.htm

How the EU Does It—The Mechanics of Making Law

Nugent, Chapters 13, 17

21 Environmental Policy

Global Studies, "EU Environmental Policy at 25," pp. 195-207

Agricultural Policy

Nugent, Chapter 15

"What’s the Beef? EU-US Trade Relations on the Eve of the 21^st Century," http://www.eurunion.org/magazine/9905/whatsthebeef.htm

Immigration and Legislating Against Racism in the EU

Global Studies, "The Migration Challenge," pp. 185-191

Global Studies, "A Flood of Immigrants," pp. 208-209

Global Studies, "The Kurds: An Endless Exodus," pp. 209-210

30 Unemployment and the European Welfare State

Global Studies, "A Survey of the Nordic Countries," pp. 229-240, 243-244

Recommended websites for Part III:

Policy Fact Sheets http://www.europarl.eu.int/dg4/factsheets/en/default.htm

EU Action Program on the Environment http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/actionpr.htm

US documents on EU agricultural policy http://www.useu.be/ISSUES/issues.html#Agriculture

Employment and Social Policy http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg05/empl&esf/index_en.htm

PART IV.

THE EUROPEAN UNION IN THE WIDER WORLD: ECONOMIC TIES, FOREIGN POLICY, AND THE EXTERNAL CONSEQUENCES OF INTERNAL POLICIES

April 4 In Search of Past Glory on the World Stage: The Case of France

Global Studies, "The Trouble with France," pp. 216-220

Global Studies, "What is France’s Long-Term Strategy?" pp. 220-221

6 The EU in the Developing World

Nugent, Chapter 16

11 EU-US Economic Relations

"Beef, Bananas, other Trade Skirmishes" http://www.eurunion.org/magazine/9905/beef.htm

"Interview with Hugo Paemen, EU Ambassador to the United States" http://www.eurunion.org/magazine/9905/interviews_paemen.htm

Alternative Visions of European Monetary Union

Scheduled: GSAMS broadcast, speaker TBA

18 Looking Eastward

"The Newly Independent States" http://www.eurunion.org/magazine/9902/newind.htm

Assignment 4a: Costs and Benefits of adding new members

Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)

Global Studies, "Putting Ethics at the Heart of Europe," pp. 181-184 ()

"Sharing Common Risks" http://www.eurunion.org/magazine/9803/p08/p08-9803.htm

"NATO: From the Cold War to Kosovo" http://www.eurunion.org/magazine/9904/nato.htm

"EU’s Emerging Foreign Policy" http://www.eurunion.org/magazine/9711/p14/p14-9711.htm

Assignment 4b: Is the CFSP a failure?

Recommended websites for Part IV:

West European Union http://www.weu.int/eng/welcome.html

NATO http://www.nato.int/

Radio Free Europe on EU Expansion http://www.rferl.org/nca/special/EUEXPANDS/index.html

World Trade Organization http://www.wto.org/

PART V.

STEPPING BACK AND LOOKING FORWARD

25 Theorizing European Integration

Nugent, Chapter 18
Nelsen and Stubb, Readings:
"The Study of the European Community: The Challenge to Comparative Politics," pp. 323-334

27 Toward Peace, Cooperation, and Prosperity

Nelsen and Stubb, Readings:
Mitrany, "A Working Peace System," pp. 93-113

May 4 Exam (8:00-10:00)

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 University’s Academic Honesty Policy http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwfhb/sec409.html. Plagiarism will result in a failing grade and possible disciplinary action.

Note: The last day to drop and receive a "W" is March 3.