politics and political economy in the european union

Political Science 329 Cleveland State University (3 Credit Hours)

Dr. Jeffrey Lewis Fall 2019

Syllabus

TTH 10:00-11:15 a.m. BH 444

Politics and Political Economy in The European Union

The European Union (EU) is the archetype of advanced regional integration and the most

developed international organization in modern history to manage economic and political

interdependence. Many who study the EU consider it to be most similar to a federal-like

political system, albeit unique in the sense that each member simultaneously maintains its

own separate nation-state sovereignty (hence the EU slogan: “unity in diversity”). The EU

currently has 28 “member-states” (or 27 minus Britain), its own currency, a single market

representing over 500 million consumers, a set of powerful supranational institutions, and

a wide range of common policies covering agricultural, social affairs, the environment,

competition/antitrust, and foreign policy – to name just a few. Over 80 percent of all new

socioeconomic laws in Europe originate in Brussels, as opposed to Berlin, Paris, Rome or

the other member-states’ capitals. But at the same time, there is widespread disagreement

among academics and practitioners alike over the ultimate political destination of the EU

and the implications of EU policy-making for the sovereign national states that belong to

this regional project. The lengthy euro crisis, deep discord over migration policy and

borders, and the politically supercharged Brexit saga raise pragmatic doubt about the

long-term viability of this “policy making system” as well as normative questions about

the democratic legitimacy of the project itself.

This course has two basic objectives. The first is to introduce students to the institutions

and policy making process of the EU. The second is to examine the main theoretical

traditions and debates in the study of European integration. Our goal is to combine

history, theory, and policy to better understand the institutional form of the EU and the

type of European political economy and polity that are emerging.

The course is divided into four main sections:

Section 1 offers an introduction to the EU and its institutional design. We look at origins of the EU

as an answer to the dislocations of interwar economic meltdown, WWII, the “German question,” and the onset of the Cold War. And we consider how - even if this is a novel “sui generis” design - there are generalizable ways to study and compare the EU as a case of multilateral cooperation. The main schools of theory include – transactionalism, neofunctionalism, intergovernmentalism, and “new institutionalism” – and each has a number of offshoots and variants that we will consider in turn.

Section 2 takes a closer look at the structure and operation of the EU institutional system, starting with the Council system, the Commission, the European Parliament (EP), the European Court of Justice (ECJ), and a series of ancillary institutions that make up the EU, including the European Central Bank (ECB). Our focus is on how the institutions work, the autonomy and constraints in

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which they operate, and most importantly, how our interpretations of their powers and purpose have implications for which theories of integration we find most convincing.

Section 3 combines an historical account of European integration with the main policy-making arenas and processes of political economy embedded in the EU’s development. Here we look at a number of current integration dilemmas for the EU including: the eurozone crisis and its implications for the EU’s ultimate destination, Brexit and the continued relevance of national identity and autonomy, where the borders of the EU will eventually stop (the Balkans?, Turkey?, Slavic portions of Europe?), whether and how the EU can/should act as a counterweight to the United States in international affairs, the “democratic deficit” and disconnect with citizens’ identities, and the legal-institutional implications of “differentiated” integration.

A fourth concluding section reexamines the theory debates of European integration and

hypothesizes some possible futures of the “Euro-Polity.”

Required Readings

Michelle Cini and Nieves Pérez-Solórzano Borragán (eds) (2019) European Union

Politics Sixth Edition (Oxford University Press) ISBN: 9780198806530

Desmond Dinan, Neill Nugent, and William Patterson (eds) (2017) The European Union

in Crisis (Palgrave Macmillan) ISBN: 9781137604255

Thomas Risse (2010) A Community of Europeans? Transnational Identities and Public

Spheres (Cornell University Press) ISBN: 9780801476488

Rebecca Adler-Nissen (2014) Opting Out of the European Union: Diplomacy,

Sovereignty and European Integration (Cambridge University Press) ISBN:

9781107618343

There are also a number of additional required readings marked below with an asterisk

(*). These readings are available in electronic format; ECR password information will be

provided in class.

Highly Recommended

To facilitate class discussions, I urge you to follow real world EU politics with a daily

news source. My own favorites are the Financial Times and the website Politico.eu, but

there is a wide range of high quality print and online sources that are out there. We will

discuss news sources during the first week in class.

For anyone who feels they lack sufficient background in contemporary European political

economy, I can think of no better single reference than Tony Judt’s Postwar: A History of

Europe Since 1945 (Penguin Press, 2005). For a highly accessible, general introduction to

the EU for beginners, I recommend the 5th Edition of Daniel Kenealy, John Peterson, and

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Richard Corbett (eds) The European Union: How Does It Work? (Oxford University

Press, 2018).

There are many EU-related websites that provide up-to-date information and official

documentation (hint: and are great resources for your research paper). Some of my

favorites:

europa.eu.int (The umbrella homepage for the EU institutions)

politico.eu (Terrific daily news on the EU from inside the “Brussels bubble”)

europa.eu/newsroom/home_en (EU daily newsroom homepage, great for keeping up

on the latest events and documents)

ukandeu.ac.uk (The British-based homepage of “the UK in a Changing Europe”

which compiles academic studies of the Brexit process)

euobserver.com (current EU news site)

eurunion.org (The main US website of the EU)

aei.pitt.edu (The Archive of European Integration at the University of Pittsburgh)

notre-europe.asso.fr/sommaire.php3?lang=en (Notre Europe – a research think tank

founded by Jacques Delors)

citizens.eu.int (Citizens Europe)

euro.eu.int (The Single Currency)

theguardian.com/us (UK newspaper with excellent euro crisis coverage and no

registration)

Office Hours and Contact Information

Office Hours: TTH 8:30-10:00 a.m., and by appointment

Office: RT 1755

Phone: (216) 687-4678

Email: [email protected]

Course Requirements

You are responsible for all readings listed on the syllabus. Attendance is mandatory. It is

important to keep up with the weekly reading assignments since lectures and class

discussion will assume familiarity with them. I will periodically call on people to answer

questions, so coming to class prepared and ready to discuss the EU will be a benefit to

you. “Caveat emptor clause”: I recommend you skim through the syllabus to gauge the

level of required readings for this class – this is a reading intensive course and absolutely

essential to learning the intricacies of a political economy as complex as the EU has

become. Bottom line: most weeks’ have 50-100+ pages of reading expected of you;

historically, students who do not engage this reading struggle to do well in the course.

http://europa.eu.int/

https://ukandeu.ac.uk/

http://www.eurunion.org/

http://aei.pitt.edu/

http://www.notre-europe.asso.fr/sommaire.php3?lang=en

http://citizens.eu.int/

http://euro.eu.int/

mailto:[email protected]

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OVERT, TRANSPARENT DISCLAIMER, or, HEY, THIS MEANS YOU: All

course requirements and deadlines apply to every single person equally, and I take

no exceptions to this standard. I have encountered a puzzling pattern in recent years of

students who accept the contractual rules of the course (i.e. this document) until they run

afoul of them and then expect derogation and/or special understanding from the instructor

– should this happen I will direct you to this document without hesitation, so please read

the requirements carefully and know what you are getting into.

As an incentive to keep up with the readings, there will be periodic short quizzes that

cover reading assignments (1 or 2 per week on average). The intention is NOT a “trick”

quiz; historically, those who regularly attend class and keep up with the assigned reading

have few difficulties in doing well on the quizzes. You may drop your lowest 2 quiz

scores. There will be no make up quizzes.

There is a “take home” essay midterm exam and a cumulative (in class) final exam. The

final exam will consist of essays and short answer questions.

In addition, each student will produce an original research paper, approximately 8 pages

in length (2,000 words), on a topic related to the themes of the course. The research paper

has multiple stages, including an initial proposal, a rough draft, and a final, revised

version (see due dates below). I will provide constructive feedback on the thesis, sources

consulted, and the substantive analysis during the draft stages of the assignment; I will

not proofread your work for spelling, grammar and punctuation – that’s part of your job!

See the attached appendix that explains how to meet the course’s WAC requirements.

Additional information about the paper and advice on selecting a topic will be provided in

class.

Research papers are due in class on the date specified below. Papers must be typed,

double-spaced and presented in hard copy (no e-mail papers accepted).

Midterm Exam 25%

Research Paper 25%

Quizzes 15%

Final Exam 35%

Important dates:

Midterm Exam Distributed Oct. 17, DUE Oct. 24

Quizzes Periodically, approx. 12 total

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Research Paper (all deadlines are in-class or earlier)

1 paragraph proposal Sept. 26

Rough draft Nov. 5

Final revised paper Dec. 3

Final Exam Dec. 10, 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Last Day To Withdraw Nov. 1

Final grades will be based on the following scale: A 92-100 A- 90-91 B+ 88-89 B 82-87 B- 80-81 C+ 78-79 C 70-77 D 60-69 F 59-0

Please check these dates carefully. If you cannot make any of these exam dates or paper

deadlines, I recommend you do not take this course. No early exams will be given under

any circumstances. Make-up exams will only be given in exceptional circumstances; in

all cases, students must have a valid excuse and written documentation (doctor’s note,

etc.) AND I should be notified PRIOR to the exam. Make-up exams will be given at my

convenience and any missed exam must be taken within ONE WEEK of the original

exam or a zero for that exam will be recorded. An essay format will be used for all make-

up exams. There will be no make up quizzes.

Early/late paper policy: Early papers are always welcome. I will read and provide

feedback on late proposals or rough drafts – but you will not earn any credit towards your

paper grade if you miss the deadline (deduct 5 points from your final paper grade if you

miss the proposal deadline and 10 points if you miss the rough draft deadline). Late final

revised papers will be accepted, but late penalties apply; for each calendar date late,

deduct 15 points out of 100; if you consider this late assessment severe, I agree, so

please be sure to turn your papers in on time or early. To be considered “on time,” papers

are due in typed, hard copy form in class the day of the deadline. No e-mail paper

proposals, drafts, or final papers will be accepted.

Please note, I do not provide information about grades by e-mail or phone.

Finally, my policy on academic dishonesty is simple: zero tolerance. Cheating on exams

or plagiarizing material (regardless of source -- this means internet sources too!) will

result in a zero for that assignment. The University’s policy on academic dishonesty can

be found in the student code of conduct; a particularly relevant passage you should be

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familiar with reads as follows:

Academic honesty is essential to maintain the integrity of the University as an institution and to foster an environment conducive to the pursuit of knowledge. The Cleveland State University Academic Community values honesty and integrity and holds its members to high standards of ethical conduct. Academic dishonesty is, therefore, unacceptable, and students must be prepared to accept the appropriate sanctions for any dishonest academic behavior…Academic misconduct refers to any fraudulent actions or behaviors that affect the evaluation of a student's academic performance or record of academic progress. It includes:

Cheating -- Fraudulent acquisition and/or submission of another's intellectual property. This includes but is not limited to the unauthorized giving or receiving of a copy of examination questions, the use of unauthorized or fabricated sources in carrying out assignments, and copying the examination answers of others.

nts, and copying the examination answers of others.

Plagiarism -- Stealing and/or using the ideas or writings of another in a paper or report and claiming them as your own. This includes but is not limited to the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment.

Please read the definition of plagiarism carefully. “I didn’t know how to cite things” is

not a valid defense for failing to give full and clear acknowledgment of the ideas or

writings of someone else.

Course Outline

I. Introduction and Theory Overview

1. What Kind of Polity is the EU? Theoretical traditions in the study of European

integration. Shonfield’s “Journey to an Unknown Destination” thesis. Is the EU sui

generis (a.k.a. the N=1 problem)? Can you have democracy and democratic

accountability in a Euro-polity? Is the EU a durable club of sovereign states? What does

seven years of euro crisis bode for the future? What does Brexit mean and will the UK

actually end up “taking back control” by leaving? At this writing, the odds are in favor of

a “hard Brexit” by the self-declared ‘do or die’ deadline of Halloween 2019, will it

happen?

Cini and Borragan, ch’s 1 and 27

Dinan et al., ch. 1

Adler-Nissen, ch’s 1 and 2

Risse, Introduction

*Thomas Risse (2014) “No Demos? Identities and Public Spheres in the Euro Crisis,”

Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol. 52, No. 6, pp. 1207-1215.

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2. How Did It Get Here? The Origins and Historical Evolution of Sovereignty’s

Messiest Club Ever Invented. How/why has European integration always been about

“more than a market”? The so-called “German Question” (then and now), the Cold War

context, and the 1951 leap in the dark. Evolution by intergovernmental Treaty and the

principle of “ever closer union.” History-making and interregnum patterns of integration.

Trends of disintegration and differentiation, including both membership AND leadership

crises.

Cini and Borragan, ch’s 2-3

*John Gillingham (2006) “The German Problem and European Integration,” in Desmond

Dinan (ed) Origins and Evolution of the European Union (Oxford: Oxford University

Press), pp. 55-81.

Dinan et al., ch. 2, 5, and 11

3. Theories of European Integration. The EU’s overall architecture: supranational BUT

also a central role for member-states. Early theories: Transactionalism, Functionalism,

Neo-Functionalism. Contemporary Variations: Liberal and “New” Intergovernmentalism.

The European “rescue” of the nation-state thesis. Principal-Agent theory. Governance and

Europeanization approaches. Socialization and habitus inside the “Brussels bubble.” The

rationalist-constructivist debate and EU studies: competing or complementary

interpretations?


Dinan et al., ch. 16

Risse, ch. 1

Adler-Nissen, ch. 3

II. What Are Supranational Institutions and How Do They Work?

4. The European Commission. The animateur of European integration. A novel

supranational institution. Bureaucracy AND “proto-executive” (Helen Wallace’s term).

The “obedient servant vs. runaway technocracy” debate.


*Mareike Kleine (2013) ‘The Commission’s Agenda-Setting Power,’ in her book

Informal Governance in the European Union: How Governments Make International

Organizations Work (Cornell University Press), pp. 59-86.

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Paper Proposal Due By Thurs., Sept. 26

5. The European Council and Council of Ministers. Where the member-states reign

supreme. Hybrid legislative and executive functions. Patterns of EU leadership and the

rotating presidency. The strategic role of European Council summits in setting the

parameters and pace of integration. QMV and consensus-seeking.

Cini and Borragan, ch. 11

Dinan et al., ch. 9

*Fiona Hayes-Renshaw and Helen Wallace (2006) ‘Less Often Than Expected: Voting in

the Council’. In Hayes-Renshaw and Wallace, The Council of Ministers. Second Edition

(New York: Palgrave Macmillan), pp. 259-97.

*Stephanie Novak (2013) ‘The Silence of Ministers: Consensus and Blame Avoidance in

the Council of the European Union’. Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol. 51, No. 6,

pp. 1091-1107.

6. The European Parliament. Codecision and the EP’s growing role in EU decision-

making. The EP party system and committee structure. Lobbying, interest groups, and the

accountability of EU policy-making to citizens. What was the “permissive consensus”

and when did it disappear exactly? The EU’s angst over the democratic deficit? The EP

as an ironic magnet for anti-EU populist politicians.

Cini and Borragan, ch’s 12, 14, and 15

*The Economist, Briefing: The European Parliament, “Elected, Yet Strangely

Unaccountable,” May 17, 2014, pp. 21-23.

7. European Court of Justice. Constitutionalism and the EU’s new legal order. The

EU’s legitimate supreme court? The direct effect and supremacy of EU law. Making

market integration work: the ECJ as a key “commitment institution.” Creating the Court

of First Instance and the growth of the preliminary ruling procedure.


*Anne-Marie Burley and Walter Mattli (1993) ‘Europe Before the Court: A Political

Theory of Legal Integration’. International Organization, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 41-76.

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Midterm Exam. Distributed by Oct. 17, DUE by class Oct. 24

III. The History and Evolution of the EU: Evaluating Key Policy-Areas and the

“Deepening” of EU Policy-Making

8. The Political Economy of the Single Market Program. How the idea of single

market becomes a reality in the late 1980s after 40 years on the political backburner. The

genius of the “1992 Project” and the “Costs of non-Europe.” The mixed approach of

harmonization and mutual recognition. Competition policy and industrial policy in the

EU: Helping Europe compete in the world economy? The EU as a regulatory state.


Dinan et al., ch. 3

*Nicolas Jabko (2006) ‘A Quiet Revolution’, in his book Playing the Market: A Political

Strategy for Uniting Europe, 1985-2005 (Cornell University Press), pp. 1-9

9. Macroeconomic Policy and the Single Currency. The European Monetary System

and the Exchange Rate Crisis of 1992-1993. Maastricht and Economic and Monetary

Union. How to manage 1 currency, 19 governments, and 20 central banks? The (ironic)

big state asphyxiation of the Growth and Stability Pact and the impact on trust and

credibility in economic governance. What the legacy of the eurozone crisis means for the

EU’s future and institutional direction.


Dinan et al., ch’s 4, 7, and 12

Adler-Nissen, ch. 4

Paper Rough Draft Due By Tues., Nov. 5

10. The “Deepening” of the EU part 1. Economic Issues. Money and markets are at the

heart of Brussels policy-making. Federal-like policies: Competition (antitrust) and

External Trade. The protection of diffuse socio-economic interests: The common

agricultural policy, employment policy, environmental policy, consumer protection, and

cohesion. The eurozone’s “repair” agenda: bigger budgets, banking union, and fiscal

harmonization.

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Dinan et al., ch’s 8 and 13

11. The “Deepening” of the EU part 2. Geopolitical and Membership Issues. EU

external relations and international influence: trade policy, enlargement, Common

Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP),

Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) and the concept of the “area of Freedom, Security, and

Justice,” and the contestability of EU citizenship rights and obligations. The “love-hate”

admixture to Transatlantic Relations and the age of Trumpian transactionalism. The ‘high

politics’ of EU border and migration policy.

Cini and Borragan, ch’s 19 and 22

Adler-Nissen, ch. 5


*Maja Kluger Rasmussen (2016) “’Heavy Fog in the Channel. Continent Cut Off’?

British Diplomatic Relations in Brussels after 2010,” Journal of Common Market Studies,

Vol. 54, No. 3, pp. 709-724.

IV. Conclusion: What’s the Outcome? “Journey to an Unknown Destination” Revisited

12. Legitimacy, Democracy, and Identity: The Future of the Euro-Polity. What kind

of “community” is Europe forging? Is “Europe” now a coherent transnational public

sphere – how would/could we know? Is the “democratic deficit” real? What is the

relationship between the EU’s 1992 “Maastricht moment” and today’s patterns of angry

populism? How does European integration affect identities at the mass public and elite

levels? To conclude: Sure -- The world’s biggest, richest consumer market. A novel form

of regional governance and political experimentation at the international level. But is the

EU a stable system of governance?


Risse, ch.’s 2-end of the book


Adler-Nissen, ch’s 6 and 7

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Final Revised Paper Due By Class, Tues., Dec. 3

Final Exam, Tues., Dec. 10, 10:15 a.m – 12:15 p.m.

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Appendix:

Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Requirements

Rhodes Tower 124 Rhodes Tower 124WAC Criteria

Require students to write between 3,000 and 5,000 words (10-20 pages, double-spaced, in 12-point font, with 1”

margins) in writing assignments (which may include drafts).1

Final versions of at least one assignment should total at least 2,000 words (eight pages).2

Teach students writing-to-learn strategies that foster students’ experiences in learning and writing-to-communicate

strategies that foster students’ respect of readers’ experiences.3 Whenever possible, planning assignments

(e.g. reading logs, pre-writing strategies) and peer reviews should be included.

Assign writing complex enough to require substantive revision for most students. The instructor should give

feedback to assist students in preparing subsequent papers or drafts of papers. This feedback should not

consist entirely of mechanical correction of punctuation and grammar.

Provide instruction in discipline-appropriate forms of texts, arguments, evidence, style, audience, and citation.

Assign writing throughout the semester.

Where appropriate, address the needs of students regarding library competency.

Assign writing in English unless the course is specifically geared to improving writing at the 300-level in another

language.

In order to receive a C or better in the course, students must write at a satisfactory skill level (C or better). If the

student’s writing is weak, but shows understanding of the course material, the student may be assigned a D,

in which case WAC credit will not be received for the course.

Maximum enrollment for this course is 35 or 45 with a graduate assistant.

________________________

1The word count may only include one preliminary draft for each final draft.

2Exceptions to this criterion may be granted in disciplines or courses where students do a substantial amount of writing, but the course structure and/or content does not create opportunities for an assignment of this length.

3Writing-to-learn helps students use writing to explore many aspects of the course as well as their own

reflections; these activities should foster learning at deeper levels than memorization or recitation. Writing-to-

communicate emphasizes aspects of writing (style, grammatical correctness, coherence, focus) that allow a reader

to navigate the writing as he or she wishes.

For more information about WAC, visit the writing center’s webpage here:

http://www.csuohio.edu/academic/writingcenter/index.html

Or contact them on campus: Rhodes Tower 124 (Library)

http://www.csuohio.edu/academic/writingcenter/index.html

politics and political economy in the european union

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