[As usual, square brackets denote my lecture material which is not found in the book. The first nine chapters are outlined here in some detail to guide your noting. The rest are given in a sparser outline for you to fill in.]
INTRODUCTION:
Europe as cultural concept.
East and West. [And Central.]
How democratic? How long?
Comparison with U.S..
U.K.; Switzerland.
Male versus female democracy.
PART 1: WESTERN EUROPE
CHAPTER 1: POLITICAL PARTIES
2. To be able to distinguish the Conservative and Liberal Parties
3. To consider the problem of the future of communism in Eastern Europe
4. To develop a feel for the dramatic changes for communism in Eastern Europe
5. To perceive the impact of NeoFacism in Europe
6. To be able to discuss the role of the Green Party and Regional Parties in Europe
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2. What are the similarities and differences of the Conservatives and Liberals?
4. Explain the new dimensions of party competition, according to Steiner.
5. What do the new radical right stand for?
Discussion and Essay Questions:
2. Define the goals and strategies of the Liberals and the Conservatives. Analyze the strengths of each party.
4. Which parties are likely to take advantage of the new dimensions of party competition, and why?
5. How are European parties different from American parties? Is this difference declining?
CHAPTER 2: PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION SYSTEMS
2. To develop a feel for the advantages and disadvantages of each of the election systems used in Europe.
3. To be able to compare the election systems used in Europe to the system used in the United States.
4. To understand the importance of the Droop formula in calculating the winner in Ireland's single transferable vote election system.
5. To be able to distinguish the difference in voter turnout in Europe and the United States.
6. To grasp the significance of the recent elections in Eastern Europe and the resulting changes for communism.
7. To perceive the changes that have resulted from the recent elections in Eastern Europe and to understand why the level of change has varied.
2. What are the anticipatory effects of the winner-take-all system. Do these also exist in the United States?
3. Provide an outline of the party list proportional representation system as seen in the Netherlands.
4. What would be the major disadvantages of using a proportional representation system for American congressional elections?
5. Discuss Switzerland's personalized proportional representation election system.
6. What is the Droop formula and how does it fit into Ireland's single transferable vote election system?
7. How does France's double-ballot election system work?
8. Why did France switch from the double-ballot system to proportional representation and then back to the double-ballot system? Are such changes democratic?
9. Provide a brief description of Germany's election system of two votes for each voter.
2. Various election systems are discussed in this chapter. Provide a detailed description of two, making comparisons to the United States' election system and assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each system.
2. To develop a feel for Great Britain's one-party majority system of cabinet formation
3. To be able to distinguish between the career path of the British prime minister and the U.S. president and to understand the political implications
4. To understand the importance of the decision making styles in the British parliament
5. To perceive the difference between a minimal-winning-sized coalition and a grand coalition and to understand the role of each in European coalition formation
6. To consider the problems a dual executive system can pose to democracy, specifically in the case of France
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4th Edition Only Has 6 Pages on this.
3. To grasp the significance of the monarchy in Great Britain
4. To perceive how and why the monarchy is able to maintain popular support
5. To develop a feel for the elected head of state in Europe
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2. How does a vote of confidence impact the selection of a cabinet?
3. What is a shadow cabinet and how does it work under the British one-party majority?
4. How does a back-bencher become a parliamentary leader?
5. How are cabinet decisions made in Great Britain? What is the impact of summing up?
6. Discuss the concept of a minimal-winning-size coalition.
7. What informal rules have developed in the Federal Republic of Germany to guide the process of cabinet formation?
9. Under what circumstance does a caretaker government exist and what can it accomplish?
11. Briefly describe France's dual executive.
12. Has Britain's Westminster
model had any success in being adopted abroad? Why or why not?
2. Under the system in Great Britain, how are cabinet decisions made? What is summing up and what is its potential impact on democracy? How does the style of decision making in Great Britain differ from the U.S.?
3. In the Federal Republic of Germany, minimal-winning-sized coalitions are a typical form of cabinet formation. Define this type of cabinet formation and discuss the rules that have emerged.
4. In Switzerland, grand coalitions are the normal pattern for cabinet formation. Define a grand coalition, pointing to specific examples.
5. Discuss France's dual executive. How democratic is this system? Do you think it has been a successful system, or was it only tailor-made to suit de Gaulle's personality?
Short Identity Questions:
Explain each of the following in a paragraph of good prose.
2. If the monarchy has no substantive power what purpose does it serve?
3. Is it costly for Britain to maintain its monarchy?
5. How does the monarchy maintain political significance in Belgium and Spain?
6. How does Switzerland's system work without a monarch or an elected head of state?
7. Discuss Germany's system of an elected head of state.
8. How has the role of the president been interpreted by the six different men who have filled the office in Germany?
9. Can the U.S. learn anything
from Europe's structure of the Head of State?
2. Recent scandals have tarnished the image of the monarchy in Great Britain. Do you think this will lessen the importance of the monarchy in Europe?
3. Provide a detailed description of the elected head of state in Europe using Germany as a specific example. How does this head of state differ from the monarchy?
4. It has been argued that the president is expected to play too many roles. We expect you president to perform policy-making functions as well as symbolic functions. Do you think the United States should a symbolic head of state as well as a chief executive. What would be the advantages and disadvantages?
2. If the monarchy has no substantive power what purpose does it serve?
3. Is it costly for Britain to maintain its monarchy?
5. How does the monarchy maintain political significance in Belgium and Spain?
6. How does Switzerland's system work without a monarch or an elected head of state?
7. Discuss Germany's system of an elected head of state.
8. How has the role of the president been interpreted by the six different men who have filled the office in Germany?
9. Can the U.S. learn anything from Europe's structure of the Head of State?
2. Recent scandals have tarnished the image of the monarchy in Great Britain. Do you think this will lessen the importance of the monarchy in Europe?
3. Provide a detailed description of the elected head of state in Europe using Germany as a specific example. How does this head of state differ from the monarchy?
4. It has been argued that
the president is expected to play too many roles. We expect you president
to perform policy-making functions as well as symbolic functions. Do you
think the United States should a symbolic head of state as well as a chief
executive. What would be the advantages and disadvantages?
2. To be able to distinguish between the use of judicial review in the United States and in Europe
3. To consider the problem of having no written constitution in the sense of a single document
4. To develop a feel for how Great Britain deals with questions of constitutionality
5. To grasp the significance of the advantages and disadvantages of the British system of determining constitutionality in comparison to the United States
6. To be able to provide a brief description of judicial review in Switzerland, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, and Italy
2. How is the importance of judicial review in Europe different from the United States?
3. The court and judicial systems in Europe are not uniform. Briefly explain some of the basic differences.
4. Unlike the United States, the British have no written constitution in the sense of a single document. What impact does this have on the foundation of its political institutions and policies?
5. How are questions of constitutionality determined in Great Britain?
6. The Supreme Court serves as an important check on the legislative and executive branches in the U.S. Why is this not the case in Great Britain? What prevents a governing party from establishing a dictatorship?
7. In Switzerland, decisions of constitutionality are made by the people in a referendum. How does this system work?
8. What contradictions occur in the Swiss system?
9. Briefly describe Germany's judicial system. How did the memories of Hitler's laws impact their system?
10. Discuss the growing importance of the Constitutional Court in France
and Italy.
2. Provide a description of Britain's judicial system. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this system? How does it compare to the U.S.?
3. Switzerland uses a system of popular referendum to decide issues of constitutionality. Isn't this pure democracy? What are the problems with such a system?
5. Is there really likely to be American style judicial review in West Europe in (say) another two decades?
3. To develop a feel for the federal trend in Europe
4. To be able to discuss Switzerland's system of government as a federal model
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Explain each of the following in a paragraph of good prose.
2. Why did Germany move to a federal system after the defeat of the Nazis?
3. How is the German federal system organized?
4. How did Italy's move toward a federal system come about?
6. What was the Basque problem in Spain?
7. What are the roots of Great Britain's movement toward federalism?
8. Discuss the organization of Switzerland's federal system.
2. Discuss the movement toward decentralization of power in 3 of the following European democracies: Italy, Spain, Great Britain, France, Belgium. Include in your discussion a comparison of the three countries you choose as well as a comparison to the federal system in the United States.
3. Why do you think there is and has been a trend toward federalism in Europe? What advantages can a federal government provide as opposed to a unitary government? Do you think the movement toward a unified European community signals a reversal in the trend toward federalism?
4. Switzerland is used as a model for the federal system of government in this chapter. Provide a detailed description of Switzerland's federal system. How has Switzerland's federal system been so successful given its cultural diversity?
2. To grasp the significance of the popular referendum in Switzerland's history
3. To develop a feel for the advantages and disadvantages of the popular referendum
5. To perceive the increased importance of the popular referendum in Europe
6. To understand the potential dangers of the use of a referendum, particularly in newly developed democracies
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2. When the referendum was introduced in Switzerland, it was intended to produce innovative change. However, the referendum has actually often had a delaying effect. Provide some examples of issues that have been delayed through the use of the popular referendum.
3. Provide some examples where new ideas have been brought into public debate as a result of a referendum in Switzerland.
4. What was the "foreignization" of Switzerland?
5. What factors might influence the Swiss voter in a referendum?
6. What is the greatest weakness of the referendum as practiced in Switzerland?
8. Provide some examples of the increased importance of the referendum
in Europe
2. Switzerland has a long history of direct citizen involvement in actual decision making. What impact has the use of the popular referendum had on Swiss politics? Has it led to more innovation or have important decisions been delayed by the voters? Have the fears of a tyranny of the majority been realized or have Swiss voters shown consideration for minority rights?
3. It would seem that the use of a popular referendum would lead to greater citizen participation as the citizens are directly involved in day-to-day policy decisions. Has the popular referendum increased citizen participation in Switzerland? Compare citizen involvement under this form of direct democracy and citizen involvement under representative forms of democracy.
4. Switzerland provides
a model for the use of direct democracy through the popular referendum
while Great Britain provides a model for the use of representative democracy
through the process of debate. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages
of each system. Why do you think other European democracies are increasingly
turning to the use of the popular referendum?
I. STATE AS A POLITICAL ACTOR.
CS elite has social status
Right shares positive view of State
Even Italian bureaus function when cabinet crises occur.
Critics: Marxists decry State repression; others [public choice] decry CS self-interest.
State is more than CS: rules, norms, values and myth.
Lobby officials may sit in P.
half Euro workforce is organized, and 90% in Scandinavia.
Derived from mediaeval Guild system, now transferred to elite groups.
Econ groups are more affluent and have better HQs than political parties.
Overlap between group and party membership varies greatly.
Farmers may have own agrarian party (Sweden) or be Right -- or even Soct or Comt (Italy, France).
Should
Dates from mediaeval times.
Only in enlightenment did individual become valued.
But this individualism caused much upheaval in C19th; led to fascist reaction in C20th.
Neo-corporatism since 1970, especially Austria where chambers have compulsory membership.
Cannot yet say whether econ interest groups have more influence under corporatism or pluralism.
Causes?
Strong labor movement.
When econ booms or is in crisis.
Result of advanced capitalism.
[From Old Chapter 11: Extension of Democracy to the Workplace.]
CHAPTER 9: NEW SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
AND CHURCHES
2. To grasp the significance of the end of the Cold War and its impact on the European peace movement
3. To be able to discuss the strategies developed by the women's movement to overcome deeply rooted sexist traditions
4. To be able to distinguish between the European educational system and the system in the United States and the understand its impact on the youth movements
5. To understand the use of collective actions in social movements
2. What steps to change the life-style of Europeans have been devised by the environmental movement?
3. The environmental movement has a multilayered organization. discuss the different layers of the movement.
4. There are two interpretations as to the role of the peace movements in the ending of the Cold War. Discuss.
5. Who were the people active in the European peace movement?
6. What are the concerns of the women's movement and what projects has it undertaken?
7. How did the earlier European educational system operate and what changes have been made?
8. Why do social movements rely so heavily on collective actions?
2. The women's movement has made great strides in the U.S.; however, it has not been as successful in Europe. Why do you think Europe is lagging behind? What has the women's movement accomplished and what obstacles does it face?
3. Until the mid-1960s, the European educational system was geared toward a small elite. What were the implications of this system? What changes were made and how did those changes impact the youth movement? Where have reforms failed?
DECISION PROCESS
POLICY OUTCOMES.
PART II: CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
CHAPTER 9: HISTORY OF THE RISE AND FALL OF COMMUNISM
CLASSICAL MARXISM
NEO-MARXIST CLASS ANALYSIS
OPPOSITIONAL COMMUNISM
IN WESTERN EUROPE
STATE COMMUNISM IN CENTRAL
AND EASTERN EUROPE
CHAPTER 14: DEMOCRATIZATION AND MARKETIZATION
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION
SYSTEMS
CABINET FORMATION AND HEADS
OF STATE
MARKETIZATION
CITIZEN SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIZATION
AND MARKETIZATION
THEORIES OF TRANSITION
TO DEMOCRACY AND FREE MARKET
PART III: NATIONALISM AND ETHNICITY
CHAPTER 11: NATIONALISM AND ETHNICITY IN EUROPE
INCREASED IMPORTANCE OF
ETHNICITY
MIXED PATTERN FOR NATIONALISM
CHAPTER 12: POWER SHARING IN MULTIETHNIC SOCIETIES.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE THEORY
OF POWER SHARING
CRITIQUE OF THE THEORY
OF POWER SHARING
NORTHERN IRELAND
FORMER CZECHOSLOVAKIA
FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
PART IV: EUROPEAN UNION.
CHAPTER 13: HISTORY AND INSTITUTIONS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION.
HISTORY OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION.
EUROPEAN UNION COUNCIL
OF MINISTERS.
EUROPEAN COUNCIL
EUROPEAN COMMISSION.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT.
EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE.
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES
COMMITTEE.
EUROPEAN BUREAUCRACY.
CHAPTER 14: POLICIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION.
COMMON MARKET FOR GOODS.
COMMON MARKET FOR SERVICES.
COMMON MARKET FOR LABOR.
COMMON MARKET FOR CAPITAL.
COMPETITION POLICY.
COMMON CURRENCY.
COMMON FOREIGN AND SECURITY
POLICY
ENLARGING THE EUROPEAN
UNION
REGIONAL POLICY.
SOCIAL POLICY.
AGRICULTURAL POLICY.
RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL
POLICY.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY.
IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE
POLICY.
EUROPEAN SYMBOLS.
CHAPTER 15: WHAT NEW ORDER FOR EUROPE?
DANGERS OF RIGIDITY OF NATION STATE SYSTEM
WITHOUT SIMPLICITY OF COLD
WAR.
ALTERNATIVE OF MULTILAYERED
ORDER.
400 YEARS OF NATION STATES ONLY.
CATASTROPHIC WARS.
REGIONALIZATION AND SUPRANATIONAL
INTEGRATION.
CROSS-BORDER REGIONS: Basque, Tyrol, Basel
COMPLEX PROBLEMS require complex structure.
EPILOGUE.
Stable democracies are rare, and most are in Europe.
Americans find Europe puzzling:
Socialism is not a dirty word in Europe.
Monarchy is compatible with democracy.
Voting for political parties.
PM easier to remove than US President.
Europeans find US puzzling:
President can be blocked in congress.
importance of questions of style, spouses etc.
Flag waving and noise at party conventions.
Politicians illnesses are considered private.
US media's reportage of Europe is sparse.
European media pay much attention to US because superpower.
American students would learn more of Europeans on back roads than major partying in capital cities.