EVS181 The Domestic Politics of European Integration

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2014
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Marko Stojić, PhD. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Veronika Velička Zapletalová, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Petr Kaniok, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Tue 13:30–15:00 U43
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 17 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course aims to examine the impact of European integration on the domestic politics of European states. It looks at how contemporary political parties respond to the growing influence of the EU as well as the effect of EU impact on national party systems. The course specifically seeks to answer how national political parties determine positions on the EU, what are the key motives behind their positions and what are the drivers of Eurosceptic attitudes. It also explores how general public form opinions on the EU and looks at voters’ preferences in national and European parliamentary elections and referendums on EU-related issues. Some of the questions that this course aims to answer are: How and why the European issue does or does not feature in domestic elections? Why does Europe play little role in domestic elections? Are Eurosceptic parties ideologically or strategically driven? Why are European elections often seen as ‘second order’ elections? The course draws on the theoretical literature coming from the fields of EU studies and comparative European politics, and looks at what different approaches to European integration have to say about the domestic politics of EU member and candidate states. By looking at the domestic politics of European integration, the course complements the knowledge that students gain in other European studies courses that deal with EU’s institutional structure and how member states shape and impact upon EU policies. By the end of this course students will be able to: • Understand the outcomes of EU influence on national politics • Explain and understand the significance of European issues in the context of domestic politics of European states • Critically evaluate positions of political parties and general public on the EU • Gain an awareness of the theoretical concepts that underpin these themes • Produce position paper that critically evaluates materials used • Develop verbal skills through taking part in discussions • Develop writing skills through writing position papers • Acquire presentation skills through seminar presentations
Syllabus
  • Week 2: Theories of European integration and domestic politics I Week 3: Theories of European integration and domestic politics II Week 4: European integration and political parties I Week 5: European integration and political parties II Week 6: Party-based Euroscepticism Week 7: European integration and domestic party systems Week 8: European integration and national elections Week 9: European integration and public opinion Week 10: The politics of European referendums Week 11: European parliamentary elections Week 12: Europeanization and domestic politics Readings: Carsten Stroby Jensen (2013) ‘Neo-functionalism’, in Michelle Cini and Nieves Perez-Solorzano Borragan (eds.) European Union Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Michelle Cini (2013) ‘Inter-governmentalism’, in Michelle Cini and Nieves Perez-Solorzano Borragan (eds.) European Union Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Thomas Risse (2004) ‘Social Constructivism and European Integration’, in Wiener, Antje and Thomas Diez (eds.) European Integration Theory .Oxford: OUP, pp. 144-159. Ladrech, R. (2002) Europeanization and political parties: Towards a framework for analysis, Party Politics, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 389-403. Marks, Gary and Carole J. Wilson (2000) ‘The Past in the Present: A Cleavage Theory of Party Response to European Integration’ British Journal of Political Science, Vol.30, No.3, pp.433-59. Taggart, Paul (1998) A Touchstone of Dissent: Euroscepticism in Contemporary Western European Party Systems, European Journal of Political Research, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 363-388. Kopecký, P. and Mudde, C. (2002) The two sides of Euroscepticism: Party positions on European integration in Central Eastern Europe. European Union Politics, 3, pp. 297-326. Mair, P. (2000) The limited impact of Europe on national party systems. West European Politics, 23:4, pp. 27-51. Anderson, Christopher J. (1998) When in Doubt, Use Proxies: Attitude toward Domestic Politics and Support for European Integration, Comparative Political Studies, Vol. 31, No.5, pp. 569-601. Szczerbiak A. and Taggart P. (2004) Conclusion: Towards a Model of (European) Referendums. West European Politics, 27(4), pp.749-777.
Assessment methods
Course Requirements This course is taught through a combination of weekly lectures/seminars. The weekly topics will be introduced in the lectures. Students are expected to read the weekly readings and actively contribute to seminar discussion. Students are also expected to write seven position papers (approximately one-page long), which will serve as a basis for seminar discussion. They have to be uploaded onto the IT system (Homework folder) not later than Tuesday, 10h. More information about topics for position papers can be found in the reading list (see below). In general, students should outline the key points from the readings and relate the weekly theoretical readings to empirical case of their choice in the position papers. The cases that will be used for writing the position papers can be found on the webpage of the European Parties Elections and Referendums Network (EPERN) . In addition, each student is required to present one position paper during the term. The presentation should introduce the theoretical issue, the case analysed in the position paper and seminar questions. The presentations slides should be also emailed by Tuesday, 10h. Final written exam will be based on the required readings and seminar discussions. Grading: Final written exam (40%), 7 position papers (30%) - there are 10 weekly topics and you can choose which 7 topics you will address in your position papers, Participation in seminars (15%), 1 presentation (15%)
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught only once.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2013.
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