Dr Vesselin Dimitrov CON 3.06, Dr Michael Bruter CON 4.06, Prof Torun Dewan CON 6.07 and Dr Eiko Thielemann CON 3.14

This course is available on the MSc in European Studies (Research) and MSc in Politics and Government in the European Union. 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. 4 hours of lectures in the ST.

All students are expected to submit two non-assessed essays 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.

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours) in the main exam period.