MWF 10:15-11:05 a.m. MC 329. Politics and Political Economy in The European Union

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1 Political Science 329 Cleveland State University (3 Credit Hours) Dr. Jeffrey Lewis Fall 2014 Syllabus MWF 10:15-11:05 a.m. MC 329 Politics and Political Economy in The European Union The European Union (EU) is commonly recognized as the archetype of regional integration and the most developed international organization in modern history to manage economic and political interdependence. Many who study the EU consider it to be most similar to a federallike political system, albeit unique in the sense that each member simultaneously maintains its own separate nation-state sovereignty (hence the EU slogan: unity in diversity ). The EU currently has 28 member-states, its own currency, a single market representing 500 million consumers, a set of powerful supranational institutions, and a wide range of common policies covering agricultural, social affairs, the environment, competition/antitrust, and foreign policy to name just a few. Estimates now put higher than 80 percent of all new socioeconomic laws in Europe as originating in Brussels, as opposed to Berlin, Paris, London, or the other memberstates capitals. But at the same time, there is widespread disagreement among academics and practitioners alike over the ultimate political destination of the EU and the implications of EU policy-making for the sovereign national states that belong to this regional project. This course has two basic objectives. The first is to introduce students to the institutions and policy-making process of the EU. The second is to examine the main theoretical traditions and debates in the study of European integration. Our goal is to combine history, theory, and policy to better understand the institutional form of the EU and the type of European political economy and European polity which are emerging. The course is divided into four main sections: Section 1 offers an introduction to the EU and its institutional design. We look at origins of the EU as an answer to the dislocations of interwar economic meltdown, WWII, the German question, and the onset of the Cold War. And we consider how - even if this is a novel sui generis design - there are generalizable ways to study and compare the EU as a case of multilateral cooperation. The main schools of theory include transactionalism, neofunctionalism, intergovernmentalism, and new institutionalism and each has a number of offshoots and variants that we will consider in turn. Section 2 takes a closer look at the structure and operation of the EU institutional system, starting with the Council system, the Commission, the European Parliament (EP), the European Court of Justice (ECJ), and a series of ancillary institutions that make up the EU, including the European Central Bank (ECB). Our focus is on how the institutions work, the autonomy and constraints in which they operate, and most importantly, how our interpretations of their powers and purpose have implications for which theories of integration we find most convincing. Section 3 combines an historical account of European integration with the main policy-making arenas and processes of political economy embedded in the EU s development. Here we look at a number of current integration dilemmas for the EU including: the eurozone crisis and its implications for the EU s ultimate destination, where the borders of the EU will eventually stop (the

2 2 Balkans?, Turkey?, Slavic portions of Europe?), whether and how the EU can/should act as a counterweight to the United States in international affairs, the democratic deficit and disconnect with citizens identities, and the legal-institutional implications of differentiated integration. A fourth concluding section reexamines the theory debates of European integration and hypothesizes some possible futures of the Euro-Polity. Required Readings Michelle Cini and Nieves Perez-Solorzano Borragan (2013) European Union Politics (Oxford University Press). ISBN: David Marsh (2011) The Euro: The Battle for the New Global Currency (Yale University Press). ISBN: Thomas Risse (2010) A Community of Europeans? Transnational Identities and Public Spheres (Cornell University Press). ISBN: There are also a small number of additional required readings. These are marked below with an asterisk (*). Information on how to obtain them through our library s electronic reserve system will be provided in class. Highly Recommended To facilitate class discussions, I urge you to follow real world EU politics with a daily news source. My own favorite is the Financial Times, and we will discuss sources during the first week in class. For anyone who feels they lack sufficient background in contemporary European political economy, I can think of no better single reference than Tony Judt s Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 (New York: Penguin Press, 2005). At over 800 pages, it may seem daunting to some, but this is a magnum opus of scholarship and distilled knowledge he spent decades acquiring, presented in a highly readable form. There are many EU-related websites that provide up-to-date information and official documentation (hint: and are great resources for your research paper). Some of my favorites: europa.eu.int (The umbrella homepage for the EU institutions) euobserver.com (current EU news site) eurunion.org (The main US website of the EU) aei.pitt.edu (The Archive of European Integration at the University of Pittsburgh) notre-europe.asso.fr/sommaire.php3?lang=en (Notre Europe a research think tank founded by Jacques Delors) citizens.eu.int (Citizens Europe)

3 3 euro.eu.int (The Single Currency) Office Hours and Contact Information Office Hours: MW 8:30-10:00 a.m., and by appointment Office: RT 1755 Phone: (216) Course Requirements You are responsible for all readings listed on the syllabus. Attendance is mandatory. It is important to keep up with the weekly reading assignments since lectures and class discussion will assume familiarity with them. I will periodically call on people to answer questions, so coming to class prepared and ready to discuss the EU will be a benefit to you. As an added incentive, there will be periodic short quizzes that cover reading assignments (1-2 per week on average). The intention is NOT a trick quiz; historically, those who regularly attend class and keep up with the assigned reading have few difficulties in doing well on the quizzes. You may drop your lowest 2 quiz scores. There will be no make up quizzes. There is a take home essay midterm exam and a cumulative (in class) final exam. The final exam will consist of essays and short answer questions. In addition, each student will produce an original research paper, approximately 8 pages in length (2,000 words), on a topic related to the themes of the course. The research paper has multiple stages, including an initial proposal, a rough draft, and a final, revised version (see due dates below). I will provide constructive feedback on the thesis, sources consulted, and the substantive analysis during the draft stages of the assignment; I will not proofread your work for spelling, grammar and punctuation that s part of your job! See the attached appendix that explains how to meet the course s WAC requirements. Additional information about the paper and advice on selecting a topic will be provided in class. Research papers are due in class on the date specified below. Papers must be typed, doublespaced and presented in hard copy (no papers accepted). Midterm Exam 25% Research Paper 25% Quizzes 15% Final Exam 35%

4 4 Important dates: Midterm Exam Distributed Oct. 15, DUE Oct. 22 Quizzes Periodically, approx. 12 total Research Paper (all deadlines are in-class or earlier) 1 paragraph proposal Oct. 8 Rough draft Nov. 14 Final revised paper Dec. 3 Final Exam Dec. 8, 10:15 a.m. 12:15 p.m. Last Day To Withdraw Oct. 31 A A B B B C C D F 59-0 Final grades will be based on the following scale: Please check these dates carefully. If you cannot make any of these exam dates or paper deadlines, I recommend you do not take this course. No early exams will be given under any circumstances. Make-up exams will only be given in exceptional circumstances; in all cases, students must have a valid excuse and written documentation (doctor s note, etc.) AND I should be notified PRIOR to the exam. Make-up exams will be given at my convenience and any missed exam must be taken within ONE WEEK of the original exam or a zero for that exam will be recorded. An essay format will be used for all make-up exams. There will be no make up quizzes. Early/late paper policy: Early papers are always welcome. I will read and provide feedback on late proposals or rough drafts but you will not earn any credit towards your paper grade if you miss the deadline (deduct 5 points from your final paper grade if you miss the proposal deadline and 10 points if you miss the rough draft deadline). Late final revised papers will be accepted, but late penalties apply; for each calendar date late, deduct 15 points out of

5 5 100; if you consider this late assessment severe, I agree, so please be sure to turn your papers in on time or early. To be considered on time, papers are due in typed, hard copy form in class the day of the deadline. No paper proposals, drafts, or final papers will be accepted. Please note, I do not provide information about grades by or phone. Finally, my policy on academic dishonesty is simple: zero tolerance. Cheating on exams or plagiarizing material (regardless of source -- this means internet sources too!) will result in a zero for that assignment. The University s policy on academic dishonesty can be found in the student code of conduct; a particularly relevant passage you should be familiar with reads as follows: Academic honesty is essential to maintain the integrity of the University as an institution and to foster an environment conducive to the pursuit of knowledge. The Cleveland State University Academic Community values honesty and integrity and holds its members to high standards of ethical conduct. Academic dishonesty is, therefore, unacceptable, and students must be prepared to accept the appropriate sanctions for any dishonest academic behavior Academic misconduct refers to any fraudulent actions or behaviors that affect the evaluation of a student's academic performance or record of academic progress. It includes: Cheating -- Fraudulent acquisition and/or submission of another's intellectual property. This includes but is not limited to the unauthorized giving or receiving of a copy of examination questions, the use of unauthorized or fabricated sources in carrying out assignments, and copying the examination answers of others. Plagiarism -- Stealing and/or using the ideas or writings of another in a paper or report and claiming them as your own. This includes but is not limited to the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. Please read the definition of plagiarism carefully. I didn t know how to cite things is not a valid defense for failing to give full and clear acknowledgment of the ideas or writings of someone else. I. Introduction and Theory Overview Course Outline 1. What Kind of Polity is the EU? Theoretical traditions in the study of European integration. Is the EU sui generis (or the N=1 problem)? Puchala s Blind Men and the Elephant metaphor. Is comparative federalism helpful to understanding the big picture? How/why has European integration always been about more than a market? Can you have Euro-democracy in a Euro-polity? Cini and Borragan, ch s 1-4 Risse, Introduction * Caporaso, J., Marks, G., Moravcsik, A., and Pollack, M. (1997) Does the European Union Represent an N of 1? ECSA Review, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 1-5.

6 6 *The Economist, Charlemagne column, Hail Helvetica, July 19, 2014, pg Theories of European Integration. The EU s overall architecture: supranational BUT also a central role for member-states. Shonfield s Journey to an Unknown Destination thesis. Early theories: Transactionalism, Functionalism, Neo-Functionalism. Contemporary Variations: Liberal Intergovernmentalism. The European rescue of the nation-state thesis. Principal-Agent theory. The rationalist-constructivist debate and EU studies. Are these competing or complementary approaches? Cini and Borragan, ch s 5-9 Risse, ch. 1 II. What Are Supranational Institutions and How Do They Work? 3. The European Commission. The animateur of European integration. A novel supranational institution. Bureaucracy AND proto-executive (Helen Wallace s term). The importance of the Council-Commission dialogue in EU policy-making and the so-called ordinary legislative procedure. The obedient servant vs. runaway technocracy debate. Cini and Borragan, ch. 10 and 15 *Mareike Kleine (2013) The Commission s Agenda-Setting Power, in her book Informal Governance in the European Union: How Governments Make International Organizations Work (Cornell University Press), pp The European Council and Council of Ministers. Where the member-states reign supreme. Hybrid legislative and executive functions. Patterns of EU leadership and the rotating presidency. The strategic role of European Council summits in setting the parameters and pace of integration. Cini and Borragan, ch. 11 *Fiona Hayes-Renshaw and Helen Wallace (2006) Less Often Than Expected: Voting in the Council. In Hayes-Renshaw and Wallace, The Council of Ministers. Second Edition (New York: Palgrave Macmillan), pp

7 7 * Stephanie Novak (2013) The Silence of Ministers: Consensus and Blame Avoidance in the Council of the European Union. Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol. 51, No. 6, pp Paper Proposal Due By Wed., Oct The European Parliament. Codecision and the EP s growing role in EU decision-making. The EP party system and committee structure. Lobbying, interest groups, and the accountability of EU policy-making to citizens. The EU s best answer to the democratic deficit? Cini and Borragan, ch s 12, 14, and 25 *The Economist, Briefing: The European Parliament, Elected, Yet Strangely Unaccountable, May 17, 2014, pp European Court of Justice. Constitutionalism and the EU s new legal order. The direct effect and supremacy of EU law. Making market integration work: the ECJ as a key commitment institution. Creating the Court of First Instance and the growth of the preliminary ruling procedure. Cini and Borragan, ch. 13 *Anne-Marie Burley and Walter Mattli (1993) Europe Before the Court: A Political Theory of Legal Integration. International Organization, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp Midterm Exam. Distributed by Oct. 15, DUE in class by Oct. 22 III. The History and Evolution of the EU: Evaluating Key Policy-Areas and the Deepening of EU Policy-Making

8 8 7. The Political Economy of the Single Market Program. How the idea of single market becomes a reality in the late 1980s after 40 years on the political backburner. The genius of the 1992 Project and the Costs of non-europe. The mixed approach of harmonization and mutual recognition. Competition policy and industrial policy in the EU: Helping Europe compete in the world economy? The EU as a regulatory state. Cini and Borragan, ch. 19 *Nicolas Jabko (2006) A Quiet Revolution, in his book Playing the Market: A Political Strategy for Uniting Europe, (Cornell University Press), pp Macroeconomic Policy and the Single Currency. The European Monetary System and the Exchange Rate Crisis of Maastricht and Economic and Monetary Union. How to manage 1 currency, 18 governments, and 19 central banks? The (ironic) big state asphyxiation of the Growth and Stability Pact. What the eurozone crisis means for the EU s future. Cini and Borragan, ch s 22, 27 Marsh, read the entire book Paper Rough Draft Due By Fri., Nov The Deepening of the EU part 1. Economic Issues. Money and markets are at the heart of Brussels policy-making. Federal-like policies: Competition (antitrust) and External Trade. The protection of diffuse socio-economic interests: The common agricultural policy, employment policy, environmental policy, consumer protection, and cohesion. Cini and Borragan, ch s 20, 23, The Deepening of the EU part 2. Geopolitical and Membership Issues. EU external relations and international influence: trade policy, enlargement, Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), Justice and Home Affairs (JHA), EU Citizenship. The love-hate admixture to Transatlantic Relations. Cini and Borragan, ch s 16, 17, 18, 21

9 9 IV. Conclusion: What s the Outcome? Journey to an Unknown Destination Revisited 11. Legitimacy, Democracy, and Identity: The Future of the Euro-Polity. What kind of community is Europe forging? Is the democratic deficit real? How does European integration affect identities at the mass public and elite levels? The world s biggest, richest consumer market. A novel form of regional governance and political experimentation at the international level. But is the EU a stable system of governance? Cini and Borragan, ch. 26 Risse, ch. s 2-end of the book Final Paper Due By Wed,. Dec. 3 Final Exam, Mon., Dec. 8, 10:15 a.m 12:15 p.m.

10 10 ************************************************************** Appendix: Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Requirements Rhodes Tower 124 Rhodes Tower 124WAC Criteria Require students to write between 3,000 and 5,000 words (10-20 pages, double-spaced, in 12-point font, with 1 margins) in writing assignments (which may include drafts). 1 Final versions of at least one assignment should total at least 2,000 words (eight pages). 2 Teach students writing-to-learn strategies that foster students experiences in learning and writing-to-communicate strategies that foster students respect of readers experiences. 3 Whenever possible, planning assignments (e.g. reading logs, pre-writing strategies) and peer reviews should be included. Assign writing complex enough to require substantive revision for most students. The instructor should give feedback to assist students in preparing subsequent papers or drafts of papers. This feedback should not consist entirely of mechanical correction of punctuation and grammar. Provide instruction in discipline-appropriate forms of texts, arguments, evidence, style, audience, and citation. Assign writing throughout the semester. Where appropriate, address the needs of students regarding library competency. Assign writing in English unless the course is specifically geared to improving writing at the 300-level in another language. In order to receive a C or better in the course, students must write at a satisfactory skill level (C or better). If the student s writing is weak, but shows understanding of the course material, the student may be assigned a D, in which case WAC credit will not be received for the course. Maximum enrollment for this course is 35 or 45 with a graduate assistant. 1 The word count may only include one preliminary draft for each final draft. 2 Exceptions to this criterion may be granted in disciplines or courses where students do a substantial amount of writing, but the course structure and/or content does not create opportunities for an assignment of this length. 3 Writing-to-learn helps students use writing to explore many aspects of the course as well as their own reflections; these activities should foster learning at deeper levels than memorization or recitation. Writingto-communicate emphasizes aspects of writing (style, grammatical correctness, coherence, focus) that allow a reader to navigate the writing as he or she wishes. For more information about WAC, visit the writing center s webpage here: Or contact them on campus: Rhodes Tower 124 (Library)

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