Political Science 652 Fall, 2010, 109 Blake

R.A. Francisco 1:00, MWF

POLITICS IN EUROPE

Purpose

The course offers an overview of a highly prized form of government: one that establishes a set of democratic rules and then adheres to them. We presume a passing familiarity with the American system of government and examine European government on three levels. First, we study in some depth the major governments of Western Europe. Second, we analyze prominent features of other systems to gain a general understanding of European constitutional government. Finally, we examine the apparent attempt by the European Union to unite Europe economically and politically.

Office Hours

I meet students in 313 Blake on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9:00 to 9:50 and 1:50-3:30 on Mondays. You may e-mail me (ronfran@ku.edu) or call me (864-9023) at any time, or come to the office during office hours or for an appointment. This syllabus is in html form at http://web.ku.edu/ronfran.

Texts

Mark Kesselman et al. European Politics in Transition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2009 (sixth edition). Note: the publisher is selling the electronic editon of the text at a lower price. Go to Houghton Mifflin’s website.

Marcus Crepaz and Jürg Steiner . European Democracies. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009 (seventh edition). You can get 15% of the price of this book in electronic form; see http://www.pearsonhighered.com.

Examinations and Grading

There are three hourly examinations, all of the short answer and identification format. The last of these will occupy the first hour of the final examination period. Each of the hourly examinations and the final examination comprise 25 percent of the total grade. The final examination occupies the second hour of the final examination period. The highest grading scale will be 90 (A), 80 (B), 70 (C) and 60 (D).

Absence from any scheduled examination will be permitted only by prior approval. Make-up examinations will be administered only after presentation of medical or other suitable documentation of inability to attend an examination. The third and final examinations will be administered, without exception, in the period designated by the University. This year that is on Friday December 17 at !:30. Anyone who needs to travel by then should drop the course.

Topics and Readings

F 20 August: Organizational Meeting

M 23 August: Constitutionalism and European Politics: Europe as a Privilged Area

Kesselman, Introduction and Crepaz & Steiner, Chapter 4

W 25 August: Europe's Remarkable Two Decades: A Guide to the Region

Crepaz & Steiner, Chapter 1

UNITED KINGDOM

F 27 August: British History: Democracy and Empire

Kesselman, Chapter 1

M 30 August: The Social and Economic Setting

Kesselman, Chapter 2

W 1 September: The Government

Kesselman, Chapter 3

F 3 September: The Parliament

Kesselman, Chapter 4

M 6 September: Labor Day: No Class

W 8 September: Political Parties

Crepaz & Steiner, Chapter 2

F 10 September: The Role of Whitehall and Interest Groups

Kesselman, Chapter 5

M 13 September: Political Culture, Voting Behavior and Socialization

W 15 September: UK Videos: PM Question Time & Yes, Minister

F 17 September: PR & Plurality: The Politics of Electoral Laws

Crepaz & Steiner, Chapter 3

M 20 September: First Examination

FRANCE

W 22 September: The Curse Of History

Kesselman, Chapter 6

F 24 September: The Social and Economic Setting

Kesselman, Chapter 7

M 27 September: The Primacy of the President

Kesselman, Chapter 8

W 29 September: Government and Bureaucracy

F 1 October: Parties and Voting Behavior

M 4 October: Interest Groups in a Semi-Presidential State

Kesselman, Chapter 10

W 6 October: The Impotent Legislature

Kesselman, Chapter 9

F 8 October: The Loci of Power in Unitary States

Kesselman, Chapters 16 & 17

ITALY

M 11 October: Parties and Elections

Kesselman, Chapter 19

W 13 October: Italian Government

Kesselman, Chapters 18 & 20

GERMANY

F 15 October: Fall Break, no class

M 18 October: Heritage: E Pluribus Unum, One to Two, aus zwei eins

Kesselman, Chapter 11 and Crepaz & Steiner, Chapter 10 and pp. 211-213

W 20 October: Second examination

F 22 October: The Social and Economic Setting

Kesselman, Chapter 11

M 25 October: The Distribution of Power: An Overview

Kesselman, Chapter 13

W 27 October: Parties, Elections, Voting Behavior, Political Culture and Participation

Kesselman, Chapter 14

F 29 October: Federalism German Style

Crepaz & Steiner, Chapter 6

M 1 November: German Politics, Unification and Entitlement

Kesselman, Chapter 15

W 3 November: Kafka's Horror: The German Bureaucracy

SPAIN

F 5 November: Spanish Political History

Crepaz & Steiner, pp. 214-215 & 240-243

M 8 November: Spanish Government

OTHER STATES

W 10 November: The Benelux Countries: Patchwork Politics

Crepaz & Steiner, Chapter 13

F 12 November: Scandinavia: Nordic Corporatism and the Welfare State

Crepaz & Steiner, Chapter 8

M 15 November: Austria and Switzerland

Crepaz & Steiner, pp. 254-260

W 17 November: Transition Politics in Central Europe: Poland

Kesselman, Chapter 28 and Crepaz & Steiner, pp. 219-223

F 19 November: Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic

Crepaz & Steiner, pp. 215-219 & 266-270

M 22 November: The Disintegration of Yugoslavia and its Successor States

Crepaz & Steiner, pp. 270-277

THE EUROPEAN UNION

W 24 November: Thanksgiving, no class

F 26 November: Thanksgiving, no class

M 29 November: The European Union is a Snare & a Delusion

Kesselman, Chapters 8 and Crepaz & Steiner, Chapter 14

W 1 December: Wither the European Union?

Kesselman, Chapter 9 and Crepaz & Steiner, Chapter 15

F 3 December: Trends in European Government: How Democratic?How unified?

M 6 December: Study for the Third and Final Exams, no class

W 8 December: Review; How To Visit Europe; course evaluations

F 17 December: Third and Final Examinations, 1:30 pm