POLn6020 Financing election campaigns in the Czech Republic

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Aneta Pinková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Aneta Pinková, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Supplier department: Division of Politology – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Mon 8:00–9:40 U43
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course will provide students with a deeper insight into the issue of political financing regulation in the Czech Republic, with an emphasis on the regulation of election campaign financing and the obligations of candidates in this area. The course will focus on the analysis of laws and regulations related to political financing, with an emphasis on practical applications and the challenges these regulations pose. Students will have the opportunity to explore various models of political campaign financing worldwide and compare them with Czech practices. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the importance of transparency and its impact on the integrity of political processes, including discussions on its negative impacts and risks. Active participation and preparation for seminars are expected and required throughout the course. Discussions on the ethical and legal issues associated with political financing will be an integral part of the teaching, allowing students to critically evaluate current regulatory mechanisms and propose possible improvements. Overall, the course will provide a comprehensive overview of political financing issues, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed for critical assessment and effective solutions to the question of financing political activities, not only in the current legislative environment of the Czech Republic.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, the student will be able to:
- Describe the regulation of political party and election campaign financing in the Czech Republic.
- Evaluate Czech legislation in both historical and spatial contexts.
- Analyze reports on the financing of election campaigns of candidates.
- Identify the strengths - and weaknesses of legislative regulation and its implementation.
Syllabus
  • Introduction, course organization, discussion on political party financing and the importance of its regulation Models and regulation of political party financing Models and regulation of (not only) election campaign financing Seminar 1 – task distribution, discussion on sources History of political party financing (and its regulation) in the Czech Republic, what constitutes an election campaign from a legal perspective Regulation of political party financing in the Czech Republic Regulation of election campaign financing in the Czech Republic I: transparency of income Seminar 2 – strengths and weaknesses of electoral legislation: discussion on the current state, proposals for changes Regulation of election campaign financing in the Czech Republic II: transparency of expenditures Third parties in the campaign Seminar 3 – presentations
Literature
  • • Rekonstrukce státu. 2020. Registrace třetích osob jako pojistka proti anonymním politickým kampan.í https://www.rekonstrukcestatu.cz/archiv-novinek/registrace-tretich-osob-jako-pojistka-proti-anonymnim-politickym-kampanim
  • • Zpráva o financování volební kampaně jednoho ze kandidátů na prezidenta 2023, jehož výdaje přesáhly 10 mil. Kč.
  • • Ústavní soud. 2023. Ústavní soud se zabýval limity projevu v rámci kampaně. Právní úprava požadující registraci „třetích“ osob podle něj obstojí. https://www.usoud.cz/aktualne/ustavni-soud-se-zabyval-limity-projevu-v-ramci-kampane-pravni-uprava-pozaduj
  • • Reed, Q. et al. 2021. Financing of political structures in EU Member States. European Commission. (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2021/694836/IPOL_STU(2021)694836_EN.pdf), kapitola 3 „Case Studies“.
  • • Ministerstvo financí České republiky. 2024. Příspěvky ze státního rozpočtu uhrazené politickým stranám a politickým hnutím v roce 2023. (https://www.mfcr.cz/cs/rozpoctova-politika/podpora-z-narodnich-zdroju/politicke-strany-a-hnuti/prispevky-ze-statnih
  • • Šimral, V. 2016. Financování českých politických stran. Brno: Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury, kapitola 5: Vývoj regulace politických financí v České republice.
  • • Falguera, E., Jones, S., Ohman, M. (eds). 2014. Funding of Political Parties and Election Campaigns, A Handbook on Political Finance. IDEA (https://www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/funding-political-parties-and-election-campaigns-handbook-political-
  • • Zákon č. 424/1991 Sb. Zákon o sdružování v politických stranách a v politických hnutích, § 17 – 19h.
  • • Úřad pro dohled nad hospodařením politických stran a hnutí. 2024. Agitace s vědomím kandidujícího subjektu. https://pruvodce.udh.gov.cz/?docs=agitace-s-vedomim-kandidujiciho-subjektu
  • • Úřad pro dohled nad hospodařením politických stran a hnutí. 2024. Agitace bez vědomí kandidujícího subjektu. https://pruvodce.udh.gov.cz/?docs=agitace-bez-vedomi-kandidujiciho-uskupeni-registrovana-treti-osoba
  • • OECD (2024), Anti-Corruption and Integrity Outlook 2024, OECD Publishing, Paris (https://doi.org/10.1787/968587cd-en), kapitola 6: Political finance.
Teaching methods
- lectures - class discussions - homework
Assessment methods
oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught once in two years.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2024/POLn6020