Class meetings:  Tuesdays, Thursdays 2:10-3:40
Patterson Hall, Room 132

Instructor: 
Dr. Andrea Grove
229C Patterson Hall
946-7254; groveak@westminster.edu
Office hours:  T, Th 11:30-12:30, 3:40-5:00
And most anytime MWF, by appointment

Course description and objectives:
This course is a comparative study of the political systems, societies, and current challenges facing selected European governments.  The patterns of political culture, political interests, political power, and public policy are analyzed.  The course will also involve students in an analysis of the economic, political, and social integration of many European countries into the European Union.  The fundamental objectives of this course are four-fold.  First, students should take away substantial knowledge about the “nuts and bolts” of the governments of Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, and the European Union (the selection of these cases will be explained in class).  Second, students will be exposed to a number of themes that are prominent in the political science literature concerning comparative politics, such as the issues of democratic performance.  Third, successful students will be able to investigate these themes as they play out in several countries, comparing and contrasting the experiences of the four states and the European Union.  Fourth, students will exit the course with knowledge about several current topics of debate and controversy in the politics of the individual countries and the European Union.

Course requirements/assignments:
To complete this course, students must attend and participate in class and complete all assignments.  The assignments are as follows (elaborated below):  class participation and attendance (including short assignments—and pop quizzes if students are not demonstrating voluntarily that they have completed the readings), two examinations, two papers, leading one course debate with a team, participation in an in-class simulation, and a final exam. 

There will be two examinations during the semester. The two exams are designed to insure that students are keeping up with and comprehending the reading; the first exam will cover the background material and the material on Britain and France; the second will test students’ knowledge about Germany and Sweden. 

The two paper assignments will be distributed in class.  For the first assignment students will be asked to compare and contrast two of the governments systems in specific ways.  In the second assignment, students will be asked to research one of the countries’ stances on a specific EU issue.  This will prepare students to take the position of that state as they represent it with their country team in a bargaining game in the last week of the semester.

The team presentations will give students a chance to work with others to moderate a (hopefully!) engaging debate in which we delve into contentious issues in the given society.  It will work as follows.  We will spend about two weeks each on the four countries and the EU.  During the second part of the final day that we spend on each state (approximately—may vary), the teams will explain a current crisis or problem and then lead debate about it and possible solutions.  Suggested issues are listed on the syllabus below, but the instructor welcomes the students to uncover a different issue if they are so moved. 

The final exam will be similar in format to the other two exams and will primarily cover the European Union. 

Texts:

Required:
Kesselman, Mark and Joel Krieger (editors), European Politics in Transition, Fourth Edition.  New York:  Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.  Abbreviated in reading assignments below as “European Politics” 

Excerpts on Sweden, handed out in class

News articles, handed out in class—WHEN YOU MISS CLASS, ALWAYS CHECK TO SEE IF YOU ALSO MISSED HANDOUTS

Recommended:
New York Times, available from the WC bookstore or see instructor, or another source of current events in Europe and the European Union, such as Time, The Economist, Newsweek, etc.  Online versions of these sources are also useful in keeping the student aware and awake to the world we will be studying. 

Student responsibilities:
ATTENDANCE WILL BE RECORDED AND ONLY ABSENCES DESCRIBED AS EXCUSED IN THE COLLEGE HANDBOOK WILL BE EXCUSED IN THIS CLASS.  FOR EVERY UNEXCUSED ABSENCE BEYOND TWO, STUDENTS CAN EXPECT THE FINAL AVERAGE TO DROP BY AT LEAST FIVE POINTS EACH ABSENCE.  Students who miss class may also miss instructions on written assignments and changes to the schedule, so excused or not, students should check with the instructor about missed information upon return.  All work is to be turned in on time and exams taken on the day scheduled; exceptions will be made only with permission of the instructor and the dean according to the procedures described in the college handbook.  Late papers may or may not be accepted, with ten points deducted for each day the paper is turned in late.

Plagiarism, cheating, and any other forms of academic dishonesty and theft will not be tolerated (see college handbook).  Proper methods of citation are contained in your Inquiry texts or from the library (or from the instructor if you do not have your Inquiry text).  Using any ideas not your own without citation constitutes plagiarism.  Plagiarism will be punished severely. 

Grading:
Grades will be calculated as follows:

Attendance and participation, including reading quizzes 15%
Paper assignment 1      12.5%
Paper assignment 2      12.5%
Exam 1       12.5%
Exam 2       12.5%
Debate moderation      10%
EU bargaining game participation     10%
Final exam       15%
 

Class and Reading Schedule 
(Although the goal is to maintain this schedule, it is subject to change)

NOTE:  THE READINGS ARE TO BE READ FOR THE FIRST DATE UNDER WHICH THEY ARE LISTED.  There is a healthy amount of reading for this course; you must stay caught up with it.  You should NOT read the material without taking notes.  You should review these notes before class.  If you take the risk of not taking notes and of not perusing them briefly before class, you are unlikely to recall the information.  If it is apparent that most students are not recalling the information to the extent necessary for us to have an engaging class period, I will begin to give the entire class quizzes over the reading during the first ten minutes of every class. 

As you read the chapters on each country, try not to get bogged down in the details (though a basic understanding of how the government works is crucial).  Instead of focusing on the details as items to memorize (which you will very soon forget!), think about how they help you to answer some of the “big” questions we will introduce the first day of class. 

For example:

In each state (or in the EU)--Is democracy working well?  Are leaders politically accountable? Do minorities receive benefits of democracy?  Would living there be better (And, in your mind, what does “better” mean?) 
 

Part 1: Introduction and the European Context

Aug 27:  Course overview and introductory concepts

Aug 29:  No class—instructor presenting research paper at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting in Boston
Readings:  European Politics, Introduction (pp. 1-33)

Sept. 3:  Setting the historical context, the “European model”
**Readings: European Politics, Chapters 6-7 (pp. 153-187; start reading about Britain for today)

Part 2:  Britain—September 5, 10, 12, 17
Topics:  the modern British state and its formation, Britain’s political economy, Britain’s government, contemporary issues and debates in British politics, covering chapters 6-10

Sept 5, 10:  Readings: European Politics, Chapters 8-9 (pp. 188-221)

Sept 12:  Readings: European Politics, Chapter 10 (pp. 222-229)

Sept 17:  Readings:  news articles handed out in class
**Second hour: Team-led debates  #1 and #2
Topic ideas:  recent decriminalization of marijuana, last year’s race riots, disagreement between government and public opinion on US policy in war against terror

Part 3:  France—September 19, 24, 26, October 1 
Topics:  the modern French state and its formation, France’s political economy, France’s  government, contemporary issues and debates in French politics, covering chapters 11-15

Sept 19:  Readings:  European Politics, Chapters 11-12 (pp. 233-264)

Sept 24, 26:  Readings:  European Politics, Chapters 13-14 (pp. 265-304)

Oct 1:  Readings:  European Politics, Chapter 15 (pp. 306-312) and news articles handed out in class
**Second hour:  Team-led debates #3 and #4
Topic idea:  the rise of far-right parties, the last presidential election (spring 2002), France and the war on terror, how French society deals with immigrants 

Oct 3:  Exam 1 (over background material, Britain, and France)

Part 4:  Germany—October 8, 10, 15, 17
Topics:  the modern German state and its formation, Germany’s political economy, Germany’s   government, contemporary issues and debates in German politics, covering chapters 16-20

Oct 8:  Readings:  European Politics, Chapters 16-17 (pp. 317-359)

Oct 10, 15: Readings:  European Politics, Chapters 18-19 (pp. 361-400)

Oct 17:  Readings:  European Politics, Chapter 20 (pp. 402-408) and news articles handed out in class
**Second hour: Team-led debates #5 and #6
Topic ideas:  how Germany deals with immigration (recent idea to change Constitution [Basic Law] to allow those without German “blood” to be considered citizens); rise of and role of the Green party; most recent elections—occurring this fall

Oct 22:  No Class—FALL BREAK

Oct 29: 
**Paper 1 due (topic will be distributed several weeks before the paper is due; the assignment will ask you to choose two of the states we have just studied and compare/contrast them in specific ways)

Part 5:  Sweden—October 24, 29, 31, and November 5
Topics:  the modern Swedish state and its formation, Sweden’s political economy, Sweden’s  government, contemporary issues and debates in Swedish politics, covering reading handed out in class

Oct 24: Readings:  handout, Chapters 21-22 (pp. 433-458)

Oct 29, 31:  Readings:  handout, Chapters 23-24 (pp. 459-488)

Nov 5:  Readings: handout, Chapter 25 (pp. 489-503)
**Second hour: Team-led debates #7 and #8
Topic ideas: why socialism works in Sweden, how Sweden deals with the war against drugs, Sweden and eugenics in decades past

Nov 7:  Exam 2 (over Germany and Sweden)

Part 6:  European integration and the EU—November 12, 14, 19, 21
Topics:  formation of this regional organization, politics and economics, government institutions and EU policies, deeper and wider union, future challenges, covering chapters 1-5

Nov 12:  Readings:  European Politics, Chapters 1-2 (pp. 39-75)

Nov 14, 19: Readings:  European Politics, Chapters 3-4 (pp. 79-124)

Nov 21:  Readings:  European Politics, Chapter 5 (pp. 126-148) and news articles handed out in 
class

Part 7:  National policies and the European Union—November 26, December 3, 5

Nov 26:  Country teams meet (in class) to strategize
**Paper 2 due on EU issue position

Nov 28: No class—THANKSGIVING BREAK

Dec 3, 5:  EU summit meetings

Dec 12, 11:30 am:  Final exam