EU447      Half Unit
Democracy, Ideology and the European State

This information is for the 2022/23 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Marta Lorimer

Availability

This course is available on the MA in Modern History, MSc in Comparative Politics, MSc in Culture and Conflict in a Global Europe, MSc in Culture and Conflict in a Global Europe (LSE & Sciences Po), MSc in Political Economy of Europe, MSc in Political Economy of Europe (LSE and Fudan) , MSc in Political Economy of Europe (LSE and Sciences Po) and MSc in Political Sociology. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

Course content

This course investigates various ways in which the State's authority to act has been underpinned in Europe, both ideologically and institutionally, in the modern period. It looks at how the State has been used to give expression to the democratic principle, and the ways this has been undermined or rejected. The module aims to provide students with a deep analytical understanding of the changing role of the State in European society. There will be three parts: A) Theorising the political; B) Democracy in post-War Europe; and C) Contemporary European trends. The course will conclude with an overview on possible trajectories to come, under the heading 'post-ideological, post-democratic and post-statal? - Europe today and beyond'.

Teaching

20 hours of seminars in Michaelmas Term. This course includes a reading week in Week 6 of Michaelmas Term.

A 2-hour review session will be held at the start of the Summer Term to prepare for the online assessment.

Formative coursework

One 2,000 word unassessed essay

One 10-12 minute class presentation

Indicative reading

  • Quentin Skinner (1989) 'The State', in Ball and Hanson (eds.) Political Innovation and Conceptual Change;
  • Peter Wagner (2008) Modernity as Experience and Interpretation;
  • James Tully (2002) 'The Unfreedom of the Moderns', Modern Law Review 63;
  • Margaret Canovan (2005) The People;
  • Michael Freeden (1996) Ideologies and Political Theory;
  • Claus Offe (1996) Modernity and the State: East and West;
  • Chantal Mouffe (2005) On the Political;
  • Frank Furedi (2005) Politics of Fear: Beyond Left and Right;
  • Nina Eliasoph (1998) Avoiding Politics;
  • Peter Mair (2006), 'Ruling the Void? The Hollowing of Western Democracy', New Left Review 42;
  • Jonathan White (2019), Politics of Last Resort: Governing by Emergency in the European Union (Oxford UP).

Assessment

Online assessment (100%) in the ST.

The online assessment for this course will be administered via Moodle.  Questions will be made available at a set date/time and students will be given a set period in the ST to complete the answers to questions and upload their responses back into Moodle.

Key facts

Department: European Institute

Total students 2021/22: 32

Average class size 2021/22: 11

Controlled access 2021/22: Yes

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Course selection videos

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.

Personal development skills

  • Self-management
  • Team working
  • Problem solving
  • Communication