Democracy in the European Union

POLI32012 Democracy in the European Union 20 Semester 2 Undergraduate Level 3 Hermann Schmitt Unit coordinator Politics 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Last part of a Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0 Conceptual Issues 1. A multi-level system of governance 2. Two inter-connected routes of EU policy making: transnational and inter-governmentalDemocratic properties of the EU 3. A democratic deficit? 4. Issues of political representationElections and EU politics 5. The EU party system: national and/or EU parties 6. European Parliament elections: second-order still? 7. Decision-making in the EP 8. EU democracy and elections to national parliamentsDemocracy and the evolving character of European integration 9. European integration: a new political cleavage? 10. Post-functionalism Conceptual Issues 1. A multi-level system of governance 2. Two inter-connected routes of EU policy making: transnational and inter-governmentalDemocratic properties of the EU 3. A democratic deficit? 4. Issues of political representationElections and EU politics 5. The EU party system: national and/or EU parties 6. European Parliament elections: second-order still? 7. Decision-making in the EP 8. EU democracy and elections to national parliamentsDemocracy and the evolving character of European integration 9. European integration: a new political cleavage? 10. Post-functionalism Electoral democracy in the EU, and the democratic quality of EU political processes more broadly, is a debated issue. Some claim political decision making in the European Union is more democratic than it is in many nation states (Moravcsik) or just about as democratic as it needs to be (Majone). Others argue, however, that there is a profound democratic deficit which originates, among other things, in the lack of political mobilization and involvement of citizens at times of European Parliament elections (Follesdahl & Hix). Moreover, European Parliament elections are said to be fought on domestic rather than EU political issues, and the electoral process and outcome of it to be essentially of a 'second-order' nature (Reif & Schmitt). This might no longer be so, however, after EU politics are said to have entered into a post-functionalist phase in which issues of identity are becoming more important than the bread-and-butter issues which dominated earlier decades (Marks and Hooghe). In addition, EU politics are part of a complex multi-level system of governance and cannot, or should not, be analysed in isolation (Marks & Hooghe and more). This module aims to provide students with an understanding of 1) the complexities of processes of opinion formation and political representation in the EU; 2) a variety of different evaluations of the effectiveness of these processes; 3) the contribution of general elections - EU and national - to EU democracy, and 4) the evolving character of European integration and its repercussions on the quality of democracy in the European Union. Students are expected to familiarise themselves with the variety of different aspects involved, and to deepen their expertise in at least one of them. Lectures; tutorials; independent study; assessed essay; oral examination 0 Other 100% Assessed essay. 3,500 words 75% Oral examination 25% Students will receive written feedback on all assessed coursework and get face to face feedback in tutorials/seminars. Tutors and Course Convenors also have a dedicated office hour when you can meet with her/him to discuss course unit specific problems and questions. Y Corbett, R; Jacobs, F; Shackleton, M (2011), The European Parliament (8 ed.), London: John Harper Publishing. Follesdal, A and Hix, S (2006) 'Why there is a democratic deficit in the EU.' Journal of Common Market Studies 44: 533-62. Hix, S; Noury, A G; Roland, G (2007) Democratic Politics in the European Parliament. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Hooghe, L and Marks, G (2001) Multi-level Governance and European Integration. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield. Hooghe, L and Marks, G (2008) 'A post-functional theory of European integration: from permissive consensus to constraining dissensus.' British Journal of Political Science 39: 1-23. Kriesi, H; Grande, E; Lachat, R (2011) West European Politics in the Age of Globalisation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Majone, G (2005) Dilemmas of European Integration. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Marsh, M (1998) 'Testing the second-order election model after four European elections' British Journal of Political Science Research 32: 591-607. Moravcsik, A (2002) 'In defence of the democratic deficit: reassessing legitimacy in the European Union' Journal of Common Market Studies 40: 603-34. Reif, K and Schmitt, H (1980) 'Nine second-order national elections: a conceptual framework for the analysis of European election results' European Journal of Political Research. Vol 8, Issue 1. Scharpf, F W (1999) Governing in Europe: Effective and Democratic? Oxford: Oxford University Press. Schmidt, V (2006) Democracy in Europe: The EU and National Polities Oxford: Oxford University Press. Schmitt, H and Thomassen, J (1999) Political Representation and Legitimacy in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Schmitt, H (2005). 'The European Parliament elections of June 2004: Still second-order?' West European Politics 28: 650-79. Assessment practical exam 1 Lectures 20 Tutorials 10 0 169 Information Length of course: 12 weeks