eu politics (po 3680
TRANSCRIPT
EU Politics (PO 3680) Department of Political Science
Trinity College, Dublin
Junior Sophister 2014-2015
Lecturer: Raj Chari, Associate Professor, Political Science,
Teaching Assistant: Michele Crepaz, Ph.D Candidate and IRC Scholar, TCD;
Lectures:
Term 1: Wednesdays 10AM, Maxwell 5 (Hamilton); Fridays 2PM 3074 Arts
Term 2 : Thursdays, 6PM 1008 Arts; Fridays, 2PM, Arts 3074
Office Hours: Chari’s Office, 4.04 CG, Fridays. 10h30-12h00
Tutorial Groups/Times: Please see end of handout
Course aims and objectives:
The general aim of this course is to provide students with a critical understanding and
comprehensive knowledge of the politics and public policy making processes of the European
Union. Particular attention will be paid to European institutions, theoretical frameworks to
understand the EU, and the EU’s main policy areas. At the end of this course it is expected
that students will have a detailed understanding of: how the EU institutions work, theoretical
characterisations of the policy making process, and public policy developments at the EU
level of governance.
Course Structure
Lectures will take place twice a week and students will attend one tutorial fortnightly (starting
Teaching Week 5 of Term 1; see end of document for more information).
Readings and Attendance
The readings are very important: students are reminded that this course only works if every
student (a) completes the assigned reading before lectures and (b) attends lectures and
participates in tutorials. In addition, you should also keep informed by reading a regular news
source (e.g. The Economist, The Financial Times, RTE News.)
Grading
Grades will be based on the following 2 forms of evaluation:
1. Two essays. These essays will count as 25% of the overall mark. Essays should be no
longer than 2500 words in length with word count included, typed, double spaced, with a
reasonable margin, with footnotes and bibliographies. Topics and due dates can be seen at the
end of the document.
Please note that plagiarism will lead to automatic failure and will be reported with the
probability of severe penalties likely to ensue. All late work, unless excused in advance by
the course lecturer, or justified by medical certificate or tutors note, will be penalised at a rate
of 5 marks per working day. However, under no circumstances
will work be accepted after the set work has been marked and handed
back to other students, or after the end of second semester.
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Essays must be submitted BOTH in hardcopy form AND in electronic form using
turnitin.com. Turnitin is an online system that enables the Teaching Team to manage the
module efficiently. Note that there is also a plagiarism detector on turnitin.com. In order to
submit your essay on turnitin.com, you need to register yourself with turnitin.com registration
for the EUP module. More details will be announced later in class.
EU Politics (PO3680), 2014-2015 Course ID: 8737564 Password: 28states
2. An annual exam. The annual exam counts 75%.
Recommended Text Purchases:
R.S. Chari and S. Kritzinger, Understanding EU Policy Making (London:Pluto, 2006)
S. Hix and Byorn Hoyland, The Political System of the EU, 3rd edition (Palgrave: 2011)
Other texts worth browsing for those new to the EU:
George, S and Bache, I. Politics in the European Union.
Cini, M. (ed.), European Union Politics.
Dinan, D. Ever Closer Union.
Useful websites:
www.ft.com which offers excellent newspaper coverage of EU events.
www.economist.com
www.europa.eu.int official EU website.
Visiting Students - Full-Year visiting students are expected to fulfil the same course
requirements, in terms of coursework and exams, as Trinity students. Visiting students here
for the whole academic year should bear in mind, before making arrangements to return
home, that the examination season does not usually finish until the end of May. This module
is worth 10 ECTS credit modules for students taking this all year.
For those visiting students who may be here for only Michaelmas Term (Term 1) you can
receive 5 ECTS credits for taking one term of the course and you will be expected to write
two essays. The topics of these two essays are those two discussed in Tutorials during Term 1.
Be sure to coordinate this second essay directly with the TA. For those visiting students who
may be here for only Hilary Term (Term 2) you can receive 5 ECTS credits you will be
expected to write two essays.
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Class Schedule
Term 1
1. Introduction and Overview of the Course
1.1 Getting to Know Each Other
1.2 Basic Background
Required Readings:
Chari and Kritzinger, Understanding EU Policy Making, Chapter 1.
Hix and Hoyland, The Political System of the European Union, Chapter 1 (pp 1-16).
2. Actors in the Policy-Making Process
2.1 Domestic level: Core-executives, Legislatures, Bureaucracies, Courts and IGs
Required Readings:
Gallagher, et al., Representative Government in Modern Europe 5th edition (McGraw
Hill 2011), Chs. 2,3,6 (p166-78, of Ch 6).
M. Howlett and M. Ramesh, Studying Public Policy, Chapter 3 (on Actors and
Institutions)
2.2 Supranational Level - the Commission, Council, the European Parliament, the
European Court of Justice
Required Readings:
Chari and Kritzinger, Chapter 2 (Ch. 2, 19-29)
Wallace, Wallace and Pollack, Policy-Making in the EU, Chap 3
Hix and Hoyland, The Political System of the EU, Chapters 2, 3, 4.
Robert Thomson et al (eds.), The European Union Decides, Chapter 1
Recommended Readings:
Peterson and Shakleton, The Institutions of the EU
2.3 – EU Interest Groups and their Regulation (which will include guest lectures by
Michele Crepaz)
Required Readings
Chari and Kritzinger, (Ch 2., 30-36)
Hix and Hoyland, Chapter 7
Chari, Hogan and Murphy, 2010. Regulating Lobbying: A Global Comparison,
Manchester University Press, Chapters 1, 2, 4.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR DEMOCRACY THROUGH LAW (VENICE
COMMISSION), 2013, REPORT ON THE ROLE OF EXTRA-INSTITUTIONAL
ACTORS IN THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM (available at:
http://www.idheap.ch/idheap.nsf/view/EF91FFC9E0321772C1257B3A0033FAFE/$F
ile/Council%20of%20Europe%20-%20Report%20Lobbying%20-
%20March%202013.pdf)
Holman C and Luneberg W. 2012. Lobbying Transparency: A comparative analysis
of regulatory reform. Interest Group and Advocacy, Vol 1, 75-104.
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Kanol Direnc. 2012. Should the European Commission Enact a Mandatory Lobby
Register? Journal of Contemporary European Research. Vol 8(4)
Recommended Readings
Chari, Murphy, and Hogan, Political Quarterly, 2007 (available on RC’s webpage
under the ‘publication’ section; see also www.regulatelobbying.com)
Christine Mahoney 2008. Brussels versus Beltway: Advocacy on the US and EU.
Georgetown University Press,
Frank R. Baumgartner, Jeffrey M. Berry, Marie Hojnacki, Beth L. Leech, David C.
Kimball, 2009. Lobbying and Policy Change: Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why
(University of Chicago Press).
Chari and D. O’Donovan, 2011. ‘Lobbying the European Commission: Open or
Secret?’ Socialism and Democracy, Vol. 25.2, 104-24.
3. Theoretical Approaches:
3.1 - Intergovernmentalism and Supranational Governance
Required Readings:
Chari and Kritzinger, Ch. 3 (sections on supranational governance and
intergovernmentalism)
Hix and Hoyland, Chapter 1 (pp 1- 19)
Recommended Readings:
A. Moravcsik, “Preferences and Power in the European Community”, Journal of
Common Market Studies, Vol. 31, 1993, 473-524.
Sandholtz and Stone Sweet, European Integration and Supranational Governance,
1998, intro and conclusions.
Garrett, G and G Tsebelis, 2001. ‘The Institutional Foundations of
Intergovernmentalism and Supranationalism in the EU.’ International Organization,
55(2), 357-390.
3.2– Pluralism and Corporatism
Required Readings:
Chari and S. Kritzinger, Ch 3 (section on Pluralism and Corporatism)
Michael Hill, The Public Policy Process (Pearson: 2005) (pp 26-36; 63-7)
Niamh Hardiman, “From Conflict to Coordination: Economic Governance and
Political Innovation in Ireland,” West European Politics (Oct. 2002)
3.4 – Elitism, Dominant Economic Class and the Policy Network Approach
Required Readings:
Chari and S. Kritzinger, Chapter 3 (sub-section on DEC)
Michael Hill, The Public Policy Process, Chapter 2 (p. 37-47)
Eisling Rainer. 2007. The Access of Business Interests to EU Institutions: Towards
Elite Pluralism? JEPP, Vol 14(3), 384-403.
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Term 2
Public Policies of the EU
4.1. Single Market Policy
Required Readings:
Chari and Kritzinger, Chapter 4.
Recommended Readings:
Hix and Hoyland, Chapter 8 (p. 192-95.)
4.2 a) Competition Policy 1 - State Aids
Required Readings:
Chari and Krtizinger, Chapter 5 (intro and section on state aids)
R. S. Chari and F. Cavatorta, “Economic Actors’ Political Activity in ‘Overlap
Issues’: Privatisation and EU State Aid Control,” West European Politics, Vol. 25,
No. 4.
M. Cini and L. McGowan, Competition Policy in the EU 2nd
edtion (2008), chapter on
State Aid.
Recommended Readings:
Chari, State Aids in the Airline Sector: A Comparative Analysis of Iberia and Aer
Lingus (Dublin: The Policy Institute, 2004.) ISBN 1-902585-11-9.
Chari and H. McMahon, “Reconsidering the Patterns of Organized Interests in Irish
Policy-Making,” Irish Political Studies, Vol. 18.1. Summer, 2003.
4.2 b) Competition Policy 2 – Liberalization, Anti-Trust and Merger Control Regulation
Required Readings:
Chari and Krtizinger, Chapter 5 (rest of chapter remaining from week before)
Cini and McGowan, Competition Policy 2nd
edition, Chapter on Mergers.
E. Shea and R.S Chari, ‘Policy Formulation, Implementation and
Feedback in EU Merger Control,’ IIIS Discussion Paper No 147, 2006:
http://www.tcd.ie/iiis/pages/publications/discussionpapers/IIISDP147.php
Recommended Readings:
McGowan and Cini, “Discretion and Politicization in EU Competition Policy: The
Case of Merger Control” Governance, 12, 2, 175-200.
E. Morgan, S. McGuire, “Transatlantic divergence: GE-Honeywell and the EU's
Merger policy”, JEPP, Vol 11, No. 1, February 2004.
4.2 c) Special Case Study of Privatization and Mergers in the EU
Required Readings: TBA
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4.3a Economic and Monetary Union
Required Readings:
Chari and Kritzinger, Chapter 6
Hix and Hoyland, Chapter 10
K. Dyson, The politics of the Euro-zone: Stability or Breakdown? (OUP, 2001), intro
and conclusions.
Recommended Readings:
Hodson D. 2009. ‘EMU and political union: what, if anything, have we learned from
the euro's first decade? JEPP, Vol 16(4), 508-526
DeRoose, S., Hodson, D. and J. Kuhlmann. 2007. ‘The legitimation of EMU: Lessons
from the early years of the Euro.’ Review of International Political Economy 14(5):
800-819.
Segers, M. and F. Van Esch. 2007. ‘Behind the Veil of Budgetary Discipline: The
Political Logic of the Budgetary Rules in EMU and the SGP,’ Journal of Common
Market Studies 45(5): 1089-1109. The Special Issue of JEPP (2009, volume 16, issue 4), edited by Henrik Enderlein
and Amy Verdun, entitled Ten Years of EMU: What Have We Learned in Political Science?
4.3b Financial and Economic Crisis and the Euro
Recommended Readings:
Chari and Bernhagen, Financial and Economic Crisis: Explaining the Sunset over the
Celtic Tiger, Irish Political Studies, Dec 2011, Vol 26/4 (avail on-line TCD library)
Connor G., T. Flavin and B O’Kelley (2010) ‘Irish Economy Note No. 10 - The US
and Irish Credit Crisis: Their Distinctive Differences and Common Features.’
available at: http://www.irisheconomy.ie/Notes/IrishEconomyNote10.pdf
Honohan, P (2009) ‘Policy Paper: Resolving Ireland’s Banking Crisis,’ The Social
and Economic Review, Vol 40, No 2. Summer, 207-31 (available on line)
Honohan, P. (2010) The Irish Banking Crisis Regulatory and Financial Stability
Policy 2003-2008: A Report to the Minister for Finance by the Governor of the
Central Bank (May 31, 2010; available on http://www.bankinginquiry.gov.ie)
4.4 Common Agricultural Policy
Required Readings:
Chari and Kritzinger, Chapter 7
Hix and Hoyland, Chapter 9 (224-229; 239-44)
Recommended Readings:
Alan Greer, Agriculture Policy in Europe (Manchester University Press, 2009)
M. Kerby and RS Chari, “Policy Scandals: A Spanish Case,” Government and
Opposition, Vol. 37, No.3, Summer 2002, 409-425
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4.5 Social Policies
Required Readings:
Chari and Kritzinger, Chapter 8
Hix and Hoyland, 206-209
Recommended Readings:
G. Falkner, “How intergovernmental are Intergovernmental Conferences? An
example from the Maastricht Treaty reform”, JEPP, Vol 9, No. 1, Feb 2002.
4.6 External Policies
Required Readings:
Chari and Kritzinger, 2006, Chapter 10.
Hix and Hoyland, Chapter 12.
R.S. Chari and F. Cavatorta, “The Iraq War: Killing Dreams of a Unified EU?”
European Political Science Vol. 3.1, Fall 2003, 25-29.
Recommended Readings:
S. Kritzinger, “Public Opinion in the Iraq Crisis: Explaining Developments in the
UK, France, Italy and Germany” European Political Science Vol. 3.1, Fall 2003, 30-
34.
M. Smith, “The framing of European foreign and security policy: towards a post-
modern policy framework?” JEPP, Vol 10, No.4, Aug 2003.
4.7 Freedom, Security and Justice Policies
Required Readings:
Chari and Kritzinger, Chapter 9.
Hix and Hoyland, Chapter 11.
Recommended Readings:
Niemann, A. 2008. ‘Dynamics and Countervailing Pressures of Visa, Asylum and
Immigration Policy Treaty Revision: Explaining Change and Stagnation from the
Amsterdam IGC to the IGC of 2003–04,’ Journal of Common Market Studies 46(3): 559-
591.
5 Summary and Review Sessions
5.1. 1st and 2
nd order policies: a useful classification?
Required Readings:
Chari and Krtizinger, Chapter 11
5.2. Review Sessions
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Tutorial Groups
There are 4 tutorial groups for PO3680. Each meets at the following times/rooms for
the specified Teaching Weeks, TW, for Semester 1 and Semester 2.
Sign up sheets will be found on the 3rd
floor bulletin boards of 1 College Green. There
are a maximum number of 20 allowed for each group and places are assigned on a
first come, first served basis.
Group 1
Time/Place: Thursdays at 10 AM in CG 3
Weeks Tutorials Meet:
Teaching Week (TW) Semester 1: Week 5, 8 and 10
TW Semester 2: Week 2,4, and 6
Group 2
Time/Place: Thursdays at 3 PM in Arts 5025
Weeks Tutorials Meet:
Teaching Week (TW) Semester 1: Week 5, 8 and 10
TW Semester 2: Week 2,4, and 6
Group 3
Time/Place: Thursdays at 3PM in Arts 5025
Weeks Tutorials Meet:
Teaching Week (TW) Semester 1: Week 6, 9, 11
TW Semester 2: Week 3, 5 and 8
Group 4
Time/Place: Thursdays at 1 PM - CG 3
Weeks Tutorials Meet:
Teaching Week (TW) Semester 1: Week 6, 9, 11
TW Semester 2: Week 3, 5, and 8
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Given the above, Each Tutorial Group will meet 3 times in each of Terms 1 and 2.
The following are the topics to be discussed in each of the meetings.
Seminar Topics and Essay Topics in Term 1:
Tutorial 1
Introductory Meetings for each group; the Program; Requirements for essays and
class procedure.
Tutorial 2
Topic 1: Discuss the strengths and the weaknesses associated with the dual character
of the EU executive. Evaluate whether or not these strengths and weaknesses are
really distinct to those found in (a EU country of your choice), where the
responsibilities of government may/may not be shared?
Tutorial 3
Topic 2: ‘Efforts to regulate lobbyists in the EU are less robust than found in other
political systems in the world.’ Evaluate this statement and explain why or why not
this is the case.
The First Essay is due no later than 5 PM (Irish time), Thursday December 4,
2014. A hardcopy is to be left in the box outside RC’s door AND must also be
submitted to turnitin.com. If a hardcopy is not submitted it will be assumed that
you have not handed in your essay.
Essay Topic - Please choose from Topics 1-2 above.
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Seminar Topics and Essay Topics Semester 2
Tutorial 1
Topic 3 – “All theoretical perspectives have advantages and disadvantages.”
Evaluate this statement by examining three of the following discussed in class:
intergovernmentalism, supranational governance, pluralism, corporatism and
dominant economic class.
Tutorial 2
Topic 4 - Choosing a EU member-state of your choice, evaluate what has been the
impact of EU competition policies. What lessons can we draw about ‘state
autonomy’?
Tutorial 3
Topic 5 – ‘The financial and economic crisis in Ireland has nothing to do with the fact
that the country belongs to the Eurozone. The crisis can be best understood by only
looking at the actions of the state, financial capital, and developers during the Celtic
Tiger boom.’ Explain why this statement is or is not valid.
The Second Essay is due no later than 5 PM (Irish time), Friday March 13,
2015. A hardcopy is to be left in the box outside RC’s door AND must also be
submitted to turnitin.com. If a hardcopy is not submitted it will be assumed that
you have not handed in your essay.
Essay Topic - Please choose from Topics 3-5 above.