COURSE SYLLABUS: The Political System of the European Union

Location: Granada, Spain

Partner Institution: University of Granada

Course Title (English): The Political System of the European Union

Course Title (Spanish): Sistema político de la Unión Europea

Sessions Offered: Fall Semester, Spring Semester

Instructional in: Spanish

Classroom Contact Hours: 45 contact hours

College Credit (Semester Credit Hours): 3 credit hours

College Credit (Quarter Units): 4 quarter units

Pre-requisites: Advanced Spanish Level

Local Department: Hispanic Studies (CEH)

Course Code: CEH 380

Course Description

Students who enrolled on the first semester of Political System in Spain and the European Union course and who wish to widen their knowledge in this field are recommended to take this course. The aims of this course are to cover the fundamental aspects of the political system of the European Union. From certain theoretical fundaments which allow us to classify the different forms of democracy, an historical evolution will be presented of the European construction process. We will also study the group of institutions which make up the European Union’s political system as well as detailing the basic principals of functioning and the principal agents who intervene in the process.

Program Schedule

1. Classification of the democratic political regimes of the contemporary world: majority democracy versus consensus democracy

2. Historical antecedents in the process of European integration.

3. Opening process in Europe

- Treaty of Paris

- Treaty of Rome-Single European Act

- Treaty of Maastricht

- Treaty of Amsterdam

- Treaty of Nice

- The European Convention

- The European Constitution Project.

4. Institutional scheme of the European Union

A. The European commission

B. The council of ministers

C. The European council

D. The European parliament

E. The justice tribunal of the union

F. Other community institutions and agencies: the regions committee, the economic and social committee, etc.

5. Basic principles of the European supranational

Constitutionalism

A. Transfer of national sovereignty

B. Constitutional character of the treaties

C. European competence scope and the principle of subsidiarity

D. The principles of European community law

6. Aspect and political agents in the decision-making process in the European union

A. Citizenship of the European Union

B. European public opinion

C. European parliamentary groups and political parties

D. Lobby groups in the European Union

E. Electoral behavior

F. Public politics in the union

Activities

An essential part of the course is the class lectures with the active participation of the students in the debates. The teacher will provide the basic materials for the classes. Also, some documentaries will be shown on different aspects of the European Union. Finally, besides class attendance and the exams, students will write a weekly commentary on news about European current affairs which will be provided by the teacher.

Course Evaluation

The final mark on this course will be based on four factors, all except the first, which is compulsory, will have equal percentages:

1) Attendance will be taken into account as students have to attend 80% of the classes;

2) Class participation, in talks on the course topics;

3) A voluntary written piece of work to be supervised by the teacher/s. This will be assessed on the bibliographical sources used, the innovative character of the work and the presentation in class;

4) The marks of the tests carried out throughout the course.

Bibliography (Text and Materials)

• ALCANTARA, M., LOS SISTEMAS POLITICOS DE LA UNION EUROPEA, TIRAN LO BLANC, VALENCIA, 2000.
• ANDERSEN, S. and Eliassen, K. A. The European Union : How Democratic is it? London: Sage, 1996.
• ALCÁNTARA, CARLOS. Diccionario de la Unión Europea. Madrid: Pirámide, 2000.
• CLOSA, C., SISTEMA POLÍTICO DE LA UNIÓN EUROPEA, ESTUDIOS COMPLUTENSE, MADRID, 1997.
• CLOSA, Carlos, FERNÁNDEZ, Natividad (coordinadores) La Constitución de la Unión Europea. Madrid : Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales, 2005.
• GALLAGHER, M., LAVER, M. and MAIR, P. Representative Government in Modern Europe. New York: McGraw-Hill. 2005.
• GOWER, Jackie. The European Union Handbook. London ; Chicago : Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 2002.
• HENIG, S., POWER AND DECISION IN EUROPE, EUROPOTENTIALS PRESS, LONDRES, 1980.
• KEOHANE, R. AND STANLEY HOFFMANN, THE NEW EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, WESTVIEW PRESS, OXFORD, 1991.
• LINDE PANIGUA, E., El sistema político de la Unión Europea. Madrid : Pirámide , 1999.
• MANGAS MARTÍN, A., La Constitución Europea. Madrid : Iustel, 2005.
• MANGAS MARTÍN, A., Instituciones y derecho de la Unión Europea. Madrid : Mac Graw- Hill , 1996.
• MENY, I. Government and Politics in Western Europe : Britain, France, Italy, West Germany. New York : Oxford University Press , 1990
• MORATA, F., LA UNIÓN EUROPEA: PROCESOS, ACTORES Y POLÍTICAS, ARIEL CIENCIA POLÍTICA, BARCELONA, 1998.
• MORENO, A., Textos básicos sobre la construcción europea. Madrid : Acento, 1999
• NUGENT, N., THE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, MACMILLAN PRESS LTD., HAMPSHIRE, 1996.
• PARSONS, C., A Certain Idea of Europe. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2003.
• PERÉZ BUSTAMANTE, R., Historia política de la Unión Europea : 1940-1995 Madrid: Dykinson , 1995.
• QUERMONNE, J-L., LE SYSTÈME POLITIQUE DE LÚNION EUROPÉENNE, MONTCHRESTIEN, CLEFS-POLITIQUE, PARIS, 1998.
• RICHARDSON, J., EUROPEAN UNION: POWER AND DECISION-MAKING, ROUTLEDGE, LONDRES, 1996.
• SIDJANSKI, D. El futuro federalista de Europa : de los orígenes de la Comunidad Europea a la Unión Europea. Barcelona : Ariel , 1998.
• STEINER, J. European Democracies. New York : Longman , 1991. WALLACE, H. AND WILLIAM WALLACE, POLICY MAKING IN THE EUROPEAN UNION, OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, OXFORD, 1996.

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