West European Politics
POL 230
Dr. Louis L. Ortmayer
Fall 1997
"Europe has lived on its contradictions, flourished on its differences, and,
constantly trancending itself thereby, has created a civilization on which the
whole world depends even when rejecting it." --Albert Camus
"THE DAYS have long since gone when EUROPE was the undisputed center of civilization
and power, the area with the most 'advanced' states and societies. What remains from
this epoch of triumphant European imperialism...is a feeling, probably well justified,
that in sheer sophistication or complexity European politics and society still surpass
those of other regions. Europe contains in a condensed miniature almost the whole
spectrum of the widely differing social experiences to be found in the world today."
Scope and Purpose of the Course
POL 230 seeks to engage students in the analysis of the efforts of liberal-democratic,
advanced industrial states in Europe toward coping with the political complexity
and socio-economic problems of the "post-industrial age." The approach of this
course will be consciously comparative, that is, designed to ascertain the
similarities and differences of the major European societies in their political
cultures, party political systems, policy making and contemporary problem solving,
and foreign affairs. The primary substantive focus of the course will be on the
three dominant West European polities--France, Great Britain, and Germany--and
their interaction in the context of the European Union (EU)--although attention will
be paid by way of comparison and contrast with alternative European "models," such
as Sweden, Italy, and Spain. The framework for study in the course will be that of
political economy, as politics in modern industrial states has become inseparable
from economics, both domestically and internationally, this being especially the
case within the context of the European Community policies and politics. Furthermore,
a continuing emphasis of the class discussions and readings will be the contemporary
policymaker: the process in which policy making occurs and the specific results of
the national and "European" policies which ensue will be examined in light of the
goals and interests of current European decision makers.
Observations
An underlying purpose of this course in West European Politics is to encourage the
student to think about the values implicit in, and the costly choices involved with,
public policy outcomes in contemporary Europe. The intention is, further, to present
the student with alternative "models" and directions occurring in other
liberal-democratic political systems as a way of spurring consideration and analysis
of the public policy choices confronted in one's own political environment (whether
local, state, national, international, global, etc.).
"The central questions of comparative political analysis remain, in short, who
governs, on behalf of what values, with the collaboration of what groups, and with
what socioeconomic and political consequences. The experiences of the European
democracies...and the European Community reveal illuminating answers."
-M. Donald Hancock, Politics in Western Europ
Readings
The following are to be purchased and read in their entirety:
Bill Jones and Dennis Kavanagh, British Politics Today, 5th edition (Manchester University Press, 1996)
David P. Conradt, The German Polity, 6th ed., (NY: Longman, 1996)
Ronald Tiersky, France in the New Europe (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1994)
Jurg Steiner, European Democracies, 3rd ed (NY: Longman, 1995)
"Europe," Current History, March 1997.
Jeffrey Archer, First Among Equals (London: Ballantine, 1984)
Reserve Readings
Readings on reserve in Little Library from the following:
Yves Meny, Government and Politics in Western Europe: Britain, France, Italy, West Germany (NY: Oxford, 1990)
Dennis A. Kavanagh, Thatcherism and British Politics: The End of Consensus (NY: Oxford 1987)
M. Donald Hancock, West Germany: The Politics of Democratic Corporatism (NY: Chatham House, 1989)
Kenneth Christie, Problems in European Politics (Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1995)
Current Affairs Readings:
Students will also be expected to familiarize themselves with and consult regularly:
THE ECONOMIST (London), EUROPE (European Communities, Brussels), THE INDEPENDENT, THE TIMES (London), FINANCIAL TIMES, THE GUARDIAN, ATLAS, (World Press Review), and at least one national American newspaper (NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, etc.)
and where foreign language abilities are appropriate, the following European sources:
LE MONDE, L'EXPRESS, LE POINT, LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR, DER SPIEGEL, DIE ZEIT, FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG, EL PAIS
and the following scholarly journals available in the library:
WEST EUROPEAN POLITICS, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, THE WORLD TODAY, THE WORLD ECONOMY, PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION, GERMAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY, FRENCH POLITICS AND SOCIETY, FOREIGN AFFAIRS, FOREIGN POLICY, POLITICAL STUDIES, SAIS REVIEW, CONTEMPORARY REVIEW
Requirements
Students will be expected to complete the assigned readings and to participate
actively and regularly in class discussions. Students will be examined on the
assigned readings, class lectures and discussions, class handouts, and current
European affairs by means of a mid-term exam (25%) (March 21) and a self-scheduled
final examination (40%). Each student will also be involved in keeping track of
developments in one particular European country, and will research and prepare a
policy paper of approximately 8-10 pages with bibliography on an appropriate topic
concerned with that country (20%) (due, 5:00 PM, April 25). In addition, periodic
quizzes may be given (on little or no notice) to encourage students to stay abreast
of current European politics and international affairs as they impinge on Europe,
and a short essay will be assigned toward the beginning of the term (together 15%).
(Grading on late papers will be lowered by one letter grade per day. Computer
excuses
are not accepted.)
Course & Topical Outline
Leadership Change: From Thatcher to Major - Case Study
I. European Comparative Politics/Political Systems:
A. Political Traditions and Heritage: The Impact of the Past
B. Political Institutions: Parliamentary Systems and
Prime Ministerial Government
C. Political Processes: The Policy Making Process
D. Stability and Consensus
E. Current Policy Issues/Agendas
(Archer-all)
Socio-Political Foundation
II. The European Political Process: Political Parties and Elections
A. Electoral Systems: Plurality/Proportional/Mixed
B. Political Parties and the Political Spectrum
C. Political Representation
(Jurg Steiner, "Political Parties;" Richard Rose, "Presidents and Prime Ministers")
III. Political Culture and Political Socialization
A. Civic Culture and National "Values"
B. Socio-Economic Cleavages and Political Patterns
C. Comparative Political Cultures
(Jones and Kavanaugh, "Political Culture," "Political Concepts")
The Actors and Political Processes
IV. GREAT BRITAIN: BRITANNIA Rules the Waves, or the North Sea & Falklands (but Trouble with Europe)
A. British Politics: The Party System and Parliament
B. Cabinet Formation: The British Model
C. Economic Decline and Economic Dilemma
D. Political Realignment? The Social Democratic Challenge
E. Thatcher and "Thatchernomics": A Major Change?
F. British Politics: The End of Consensus? The Challenge of Europe.
(Jones and Kavanaugh - all)
Case: "A Very British Coup"
V. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY: The Political "Dwarf" Grows Into a Giant and Beyond
A. Political "Engineering" and Federalism: 'Re-Made" Political Culture
B. Coalition Government and Political Bargaining
C. H. Kohl: Christian Democracy and Return to the Old Order
D. The Political Economy of Economic Power
E. The "Greens": Alternative Politics and Opposition
F. Reunification and Reorganization: The Costs of Success
(Conradt - all: Don Hancock, "Democratic Corporatism in Practice: Economic Management and Performance;" Survey: "Germany: Divided Still," Economist, Nov. 1996)
Case: "The End of the Kohl Era?"
VI. FRANCE: The Fifth Republic Charts a New Course
A. Presidentialism: Executive Rule and Parliamentary Concurrence
B. "Cohabitation" and After
C. The Opposition Rules: Divisions of the Left, the Right, Dissensus
D. French Economic "Adjustments": Indicative Capitalism toward Social Democracy (France, Inc.? or Entrepreneuralism?)
E. The Mitterrand Era: France in Europe, France and Europe
F. Presidential Elections 1995: Candidates and Contentions
G. The Right Returns to Power: Chirac and His Rivals
(Tiersky - all; "L'E'tat c'est L'Europe," Economist [survey])
VII. Other European "Models": Fragmentation to Concerted Democracy
A. SWEDEN: The Middle Way--Now On Trial?
B. SPAIN: In the Wake of Franco--Stabilizing Democracy
C. ITALY: Multi-party Politics, the "Compromezzo Storico," and Trials of Corruption
Policy and Issues
VIII. Assessment of European Political Systems:
A. Political Power and Performance: Some Comparisons
B. Comparative Political Economy: The Nature of Choices
European Integration
IX. The European Community: National Hodgepodge or Collective Bargaining?
A. The European Communities Framework
B. Goals, Programs, Initiatives: Europe 1992 and Maastricht
C. "European" Policies and Foreign Policies: EMU to Social Charter
D. Can The Community Adapt?....After Maastricht and Bosnia
(Delamide, "Mitteleuropa: Europe's Heartland;" handouts)
