European Comparative Politics and Society (ESA)

Fall 2012

Lecturer: Prof.PhDr.Lenka Rovná,CSc.,

Jean Monnet Chair Ad Personam

rovna@fsv.cuni.cz

Office hours: Mondays 13,00 - 14,00 Rytířská 31, Praha 1

Every student will be responsible for:

1) Class Participation

Each student will prepare for class by doing the designated readings, designated oral presentations and actively participating in class discussions. Two unexcused absences can be tolerated.

2) Paper (December 7)

Each student will write an 8page (double-spaced) research paper. "Right of Left, Who is Best?"

Each student will select one parliamentary political party belonging to the "right" or "left" side of political spectrum in one European country according to the assignment done in the class. The program of the party will be examined and the question dealing with the recent developments in European politics will be done. Detailed instructions will be given during the class.

Quotations and the complete list of sources are compulsory.

4) Final exam

The final exam will be cumulative and will consist of short answer identification questions and essay questions.

Requirements for the class:

Paper (8 pages) 30%

Final exam 30%

Participation in the class 40%

Lesson 1 Oct 2 Introduction

Europe: a continent in the making, in: Tim Bale, European Politics, A Comparative Introduction, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, 2005, pp. 1 - 31

Lesson 2 Oct 16 Cleavages in Western Europe, religious, ethnic, economic, social…, in: Jan Eric Lane and Svante Ersson, Politics and Society in Western Europe, Sage Publication, London, 1999, pp. 37 - 75

Lesson 3 Oct 23 Political Parties, in: Jan Eric Lane and Svante Ersson, Politics and Society in Western Europe, Sage Publication, London, 1999, pp. 76 - 108

Inside Western European Political parties, in:Michael Gallagher, Michael Laver, Peter Mair, Representative Government in Modern Europe, Institutions, parties and Governments, Boston, McGraw Hill, 4th edition, 2005, pp. 307-339

Lesson 4 Oct 30 Elections and Electoral systems, in:Michael Gallagher, Michael Laver, Peter Mair, Representative Government in Modern Europe, Institutions, parties and Governments, Boston, McGraw Hill, 4th edition, 2005, pp. 340-380

in: Edited by Paul Heywood, Erik Jones and Martin Rhodes, Developments in West European Politics 2, Palgrave, Basingstoke, 2002, pp. 94 - 114

Lesson 5 Nov 6 Building and Maintaining the government, in:Michael Gallagher, Michael Laver, Peter Mair, Representative Government in Modern Europe, Institutions, parties and Governments, Boston, McGraw Hill, 4th edition, 2005, pp. 381-421

in: Gabriel A.Almond, Russel J.Dalton, G.Bingham Powell, Jr., Kaare Strom, European Politics Today, Pearson Longman, New York, 3^rd edition, 2006, pp.62 - 83

Politics outside Parliament, in:Michael Gallagher, Michael Laver, Peter Mair, Representative Government in Modern Europe, Institutions, parties and Governments, Boston, McGraw Hill, 4th edition, 2005, pp. 441-461

Lesson 6 Nov 13 From Government to governance, in: Edited by Paul Heywood, Erik Jones and Martin Rhodes, Developments in West European Politics 2, Palgrave, Basingstoke, 2002, pp. 151 - 183

Territorial Politics and the New Regionalism, in: Edited by Paul Heywood, Erik Jones and Martin Rhodes, Developments in West European Politics 2, Palgrave, Basingstoke, 2002, pp. 201 - 220

Lesson 7 Nov 20 European Integration and the nation state, in:Simon Bulmer and Christian Lequesne, The Member States of the European Union, Oxford University Press, 2005, pp. 25-69

Politics in the European Union from the member state point of view, in: Gabriel A.Almond, Russel J.Dalton, G.Bingham Powell, Jr., Kaare Strom, European Politics Today, Pearson Longman, New York, 3^rd edition, 2006, pp.457 - 509

Lesson 8 Nov 27 Political System of Great Britain, Britain and Europe, in: Gabriel A.Almond, Russel J.Dalton, G.Bingham Powell, Jr., Kaare Strom, European Politics Today, Pearson Longman, New York, 3^rd edition, 2006, pp.84 - 133

Lesson 9 Dec 4 Political System of France, in: Gabriel A.Almond, Russel J.Dalton, G.Bingham Powell, Jr., Kaare Strom, European Politics Today, Pearson Longman, New York, 3^rd edition, 2006, pp. 134 - 189

Lesson 10 Dec 11 Political System of Germany, in: Gabriel A.Almond, Russel J.Dalton, G.Bingham Powell, Jr., Kaare Strom, European Politics Today, Pearson Longman, New York, 3^rd edition, 2006, pp.190 - 245

Lesson 11 Dec 18 Political System of the Czech Republic in comparative perspective, East or West? Home is best., in: Readings will be given by the instructor