Dr Julian Hoerner

Prof Simon Hix, Dr Eiko Thielemann

This course is available on the MSc in EU Politics, MSc in EU Politics (LSE and Sciences Po) and MSc in European Studies (Research). This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

The course is intended to provide students with a systematic introduction to central conceptual and theoretical debates in the comparative analysis of politics and government in Europe. The core syllabus focuses on both traditional fields of comparative enquiry, such as the study of party competition and voting behaviour, and emerging fields of interest, such as European identity, immigration, Central banks, and Europeanisation. The course takes a thematic approach and places particular emphasis on the diverse experiences of liberal democracy in individual European countries.

The main themes addressed include: European models of government; elections and electoral behaviour; party systems and representation; executive-legislative relations; courts and central banks; European identity; immigration; European integration and domestic institutional change.

10 hours of lectures and 18 hours of seminars in the MT.

There will be a reading week in Week 6 of the MT for private study and assessment preparation.

All students are expected to submit one formative essay and make one seminar presentation.

Readings include: M Gallagher et al, Representative Government in Modern Europe, 5th ed; P Heywood et al (Eds), Developments in European Politics; M Bruter, Citizens of Europe; S Hix, The Political System of the European Union, 2nd edition; J Hayward & A Menon (Eds), Governing Europe; A Lijphart, Patterns of Democracy; Y Deloye & M Bruter (Eds) Encyclopaedia of European Elections; K Shepsle & P Bonchek, Analysing Politics; G Cox, Making Votes Count; G Tsebelis, Veto Players.

Essay (100%, 3000 words).

The assessment of the course is based 100% on an essay, which allows students to explore in depth an aspect of European politics and to investigate comparatively several European countries of their choice.