Politics and Government in the European Union (5 ECTS)

Lecturer(s): dr. T. Nowak (coordinator)

When: Block 2

Brief course description:
This module provides an introduction to the European Union as a political system that exists alongside and together with the national systems of the member states. Students will get acquainted with the history of and explanations for the European integration process, the institutional structure of the EU, the European integration theories in political science, the decision-making procedures and a selection of policy fields.
By examining its development, institutional structure and policy-making processes, the module aims to contribute to an understanding of the nature and functioning of this rather unique European political system and its impact on European societies. Attention will be paid to the history of the EU, its institutions, the theory of European integration, the role of interest groups and problems of implementation. Analysis of political decision-making in several policy fields (e.g. common foreign and security policy; enlargement; agriculture; regional policy) is used to demonstrate the functioning of the EU in practice.

Teaching method:
The module consists of lectures (2 hours) and work groups (1 hour). During the lectures, the key themes will be introduced and explained. In the work groups, issues related to some of the main topics dealt with in the lectures will be discussed in student presentations.

Assessment:
Paper, presentation(s), written exam (essay questions).

*Official course information and schedules during the academic year can be found in Ocasys.