The Politics and Governance of the EU

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Apply conceptual tools to analyse the policy and decision-making processes of the EU.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the history of European integration since 1945, theories of European integration including neofunctionalism and intergovernmentalism, the main institutions and policies of the European Union, and some key issues and debates in European integration.
• Demonstrate appropriate cognitive, communicative and transferable skills, including understanding core concepts and theories, developing the capacity for independent learning through access to general learning resources, making individual seminar presentations.

The module will be taught via a set of 12 weekly lectures followed by fortnightly seminars (5 in total). The content of the module (i.e. lectures) is structured in weekly lectures focusing on 12

key topics.

PART 1: HISTORY, INSTITUIONS, THEORIES

Lecture 1-Introduction and key themes: intergovernmentalism, neofunctionalism and supranationalism

Lecture 2 -Historical evolution of European integration

Lecture 3 -Key institutions (1): European Commission, Council of Ministers, European Council

Lecture 4 -Key institutions (2): European Parliament, European Court of Justice, Agencies

PART 2: POLICIES

Lecture 5- Understanding EU Governance and the Policy Process

Lecture 6 -Freedom, Security and Justice

Lecture 7 -Economic Governance in the EU and the Eurozone crisis

Lecture 8- EU enlargement

Lecture 9- Human rights

PART 3: ISSUES

Lecture 10 -Europeanization

Lecture 11 -Democracy

Lecture 12 -The future of the EU and module conclusion

Teaching and learning methods

2 hours of lectures per week. All will be recorded and posted on Blackboard. Lectures will be delivered either face to face or online only depending upon University and Public Health England Guidance at the time. Total of 24 hours of lectures (2 hours per week X 12 weeks) per module.

Weekly student participation in online discussion boards. 1 hour per week delivered asynchronously. (1 hour X 12 weeks)

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

Journals. • Journal of European Public Policy • Journal of Common Market Studies • Western European Politics • Journal of European Integration • European Union Politics

Internet Resources

European Voice.

University Association for Contemporary European Studies.

Facts and figures on the EU.

UK Office of the European Parliament.

European Convention.

European Navigator.

Archive of European integration (online resource on European integration at University of Pittsburgh, USA).

C Gateway to the European Union.

Foreign Office: Britain in the EU.

Alternative news source.

Daily news on the EU.

Textbooks

Bache, I., George, S. and Bulmer, S. (2011). Politics in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Richardson, J. (ed.) (2005). European Union: Power and Policy-Making. London: Routledge.

Wallace, H., Pollack, M., Young, A. (eds) (2010). Policy-Making in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Nugent, N. (2010). The Government and Politics of the European Union. Basingstoke and London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Cini, M. and Perez-Solorzano Borragan, N. (eds.) (2013). European Union Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Buonanno, L. and Nugent, N. (2013). Policies and Policy Processes of the European Union. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Bomberg, E. and Stubb, A. (ed.) (2012). The European Union: How Does it Work?. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External