Module catalogue

GI5064 - The Politics of the European Union (2020/21)

Module specification

Module approved to run in 2020/21

Module title

The Politics of the European Union

Module level

Intermediate (05)

Credit rating for module

School

School of Social Sciences

Total study hours

150

45 hours	Scheduled learning & teaching activities
105 hours	Guided independent study

Assessment components

Type	Weighting	Qualifying mark	Description
Coursework	50%		Essay, 1,500
Coursework	50%		Policy Evaluation 1500

Running in 2020/21

(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change)

Period	Campus	Day	Time	Module Leader
Spring semester	North	Monday	Morning

Module summary

This module has three principal aims:

1. It will explore the historical origins of Union and its predecessor bodies in the first two decades after WWII. What agents and factors facilitated such a innovative development in European political history?
3. It will explore the political character of the Union. What sort of organisation is it in political terms? How democratic is it?
4. It will examine its principal policy outputs, including economic, monetary, social and foreign policies

Syllabus

- The historical evolution of the EU from the foundation of the ECSC LO1

- Conceptualising the EU: What is it? Federation, confederation, consociation, other. LO2

- Democracy and the European Union LO3

- The Principal Policies of the EU: LO4

                                 Market;
                                 Money;
                                 Agriculture;
                                 Movement and Migration
                                 Foreign and defence

Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity

This module will be taught through a mixture of lectures and seminars. It will also exploit weblearn to deliver materials (reading, seminar materials, video material, feedback) which can support seminar work and the independent learning of students

To support the employability component of the degree, two seminars will be devoted to a detailed analysis of the policy making process (formulation of proposals; legislative process; implementation). Students will be asked to simulate the formulation and ‘piloting’ of a proposal through the various stages of development.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this module students will:

1. Possess a firm grasp of the political and economic factors that have shaped the historical evolution of the European Union
2. Gain a capacity to evaluate critically competing formal explanatory theories of European integration
3. Understand and critique the conceptual debates concerning the political nature of the EU
4. Gain a knowledge and understanding of the nature and significance of its principal policy responsibilities and the ways in which they have reshaped European politics and economics.

Assessment strategy

There will be two pieces of summative assessment on this module:

1. 1, 500 essay, drawn from a list of essay titles
2. 1, 500 word policy evaluation. Students will have to select an area of EU policy and describe its development and evaluate its nature and significance in relation to the EU as a whole. Policy areas to be specified by tutor

Bibliography

Where possible, the most current version of reading materials is used during the delivery of this module. Comprehensive reading lists are provided to students in their handbooks. Reading Lists will be updated annually.

Core Reading:

Cini, M and Nieves Pérez-Solórzano Borragán, European Union Politics, OUP, 2016
Wallace, H., Pollack, M. and Young , A.(2015) Policy-Making in the European Union, OUP
M. Eilstrip-Sangiovanni, Debating Europea Integration, 2006. ebook