Europe in the World

DESCRIPTION AND GOALS
The goal of the course is to provide a general vision of current Europe in the world at different levels. It will focus on the analysis of the European Union both as the main and practically only European actor in the international scenario, and as one of the main most recent experiences in terms of social organizations. The so-called European social and economic model and the limits of the European Union will also be addressed, as well as the role of the E.U. in the field of foreign relations.

CONTENT

Weeks 1/2
1.-What Is the European Union?
1. A polity in the making.
2. Intergovernmenta v. Supranational International
l Organizations.
3. Historical context.
4. Division of competences between the EU and its
Member States.

Weeks 3/4/5/6
2.-How democratic the European Union is?
1. Definition of democracy.
2. U.S.A. vs. European government system: a comparative
analysis.
3. The political institutions: European Parliament, European
Commission, Council.
4. The technical bodies: ECJ, Court of Auditors, ECB.
5. Achievements, Pitfalls, and Challenges of the EU
democracy.

Weeks 7/8/9/10
3.- European Economic and Social Model.
1. Post-war European economic development.
2. The trilogy: Economic growth, macroeconomic stability,
3. The European social model at stake. Contributing factors.

Weeks 11/12/13
4.- Geographical and Cultural Limits of Europe: Enlargements.
1. From 6 founding members to the current 28 Member States.
2. Perspectives of further enlargements.
3. Criteria for countries to join and to leave the E.U. The
Brexit.
4. Systemic crises and the “nuclear option” (art. 7 TEU):
Poland, Hungary, Romania?
5. Being European. Limits to enlargements?

Week 14/15
7.-Economic Giant, Political Dwarf and Military Worm?
1. Summary.
2. Conclusions on the actual role of the E.U. in the current
international scenario.


METHODOLOGY
Classes will be based on lectures and the discussion of different readings that students will need to previously do at home. Students are expected to actively participate in the classes, and to write several essays to be assigned throughout the course. All this, together with the final exam, will determine their final grade.

Students will submit three essays, either on paper or by email. They must be written in DIN A4 format, with line spacing of 1.5 lines. Essays submitted after the deadline will be accepted without penalty only if the student has previously obtained an extension of the deadline from
the professor or if there are exceptional circumstances that justify it, at the teacher's discretion. The penalty for late delivery will be 5 points for each day of delay.

  • A first essay is basically descriptive. The subject is "Why is the European Union a peculiar international organization?" This essay will have not less than 300 words.
  • A second essay will have as subject "Critical analysis of the level of democracy of the European Union". Once studied in class the different institutions that make the EU work and the concepts of democracy and legitimacy, the objective of the essay is to see what elements of the institutional system present failures in terms of the level of desirable democracy. This essay will have not less than 1,500 words and should contain a bibliography.
  • The third essay will have as its subject "Characteristics of the European economic and social model, evolution in the last decades, problems and possible solutions". This essay will have not less than 1,500 words and should contain a bibliography.
 

ASSESSMENT
The final grade will be calculated according to the following percentages:
Assignments: 20%
Essays: 30%
Participation: 10%
Final exam: 40 %

BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Comisión Europea, El funcionamiento de la Unión Europea. Guía del ciudadano sobre las instituciones de la Unión Europea, OPOCE, Bruselas, 2005.
- --- Una potencia mundial. Las relaciones exteriores de la Unión Europea, OPOCE, Bruselas, 2004.
- Craig, Paul; de Burca, Grainne, EU Law: Text, Cases and Materials, 4th edition, OUP, oxford, 2007.
- Dreier, David, The Next Superpower?: The Rise of Europe and Its Challenge to the United States, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2007.
- Duverger, Maurice, La Europa de los Hombres. Una metamorfosis inacabada, Alianza Editorial, Madrid, 1995.
- Fernández Gayoso, Julio, Retos del modelo social y económico europeo, Fundación Alternativas, Madrid, 2007.
-Hix, Simon, The Political System of the European Union, 2nd edition, Palgrave, New York, 2005.
- Leonard, Mark, Why Europe Will Run the 21st Century, PublicAffairs, 2006.
- Mangas, Martín, Araceli; Liñán, Diego, Instituciones y Derecho de la Unión Europea, 5th edition, Tecnos, Madrid, 2005.
- McCormick, John, Understanding the European Union. A Concise Introduction, 3rd edition, Palgrave, New York, 2005.
-Nugent, Neil, The Government and Politics of the European Union, 6th edition, Duke University Press, 2006.
- Pinder, John, The European Union: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, USA; 2nd edition, 2008.
-Phinnemore, David; McGowan, Lee, A Dictionary of the European Union, Europa, London, 2004.
-Reid, T. R., The United States of Europe. The New Superpower and the End of the American Supremacy, Penguin, 2004.
- Van Gerven, Walter, The European Union. A Polity of States and Peoples, Hart Publishing, Oregon, 2005.

**The student must be registered for Spanish II or have an equivalent level.
Note: Class attendance is essential in all courses. Therefore, it will be checked daily. Missing classes will negatively affect the student?s final grade.