European Policy and Issues
Joaquin Roy
Office: 1531 Brescia Ave., # 144A
Office Hours: Monday:
1:00 – 2:00 pm
Tuesday: 1:00 - 3:30 pm
Wednesday and Thursday: 1:00
– 5:00 pm
Tel.: (305) 284-3266
e-mail: jroy@miami.edu
Born from the devastation of World War II, the European Union has become one of the most complex and effective international institutions. A decade after the fall of the Berlin Wall, it faces the historic opportunity to obliterate dividing lines and make Europe “whole and free.”
The processes of European integration, its governance, and politics have been the object of extensive study and theory development. The dual tasks of deepening and widening present the European Union with daunting challenges that can put to test its ability to govern. Even when it aims at assuming pan-European parameters, The Union has to address age-old issues such as nationalism, racism, and inequality, that have persisted in the age of globalization.
This course is intended to provide understanding of the European Union’s most significant policies and controversial issues. The focus will be on the content, development, and reform of the policies of the first pillar. These have been adapted over the years to reflect the altering make up of the institution within a changing European context. The need for reform was recognized even before the prospect of enlargement loomed large, since policy development and implementation involve a complex interplay of factors such as domestic politics and institutional dynamics.
The course will also examine social problems within the European Union that have significant political and policy implications. The increasing volume of transnational and transborder interactions have brought to the fore a slew of alarming tendencies, such as violence and discrimination. These have fueled public debates on issues ranging from identity and belonging to immigration and asylum policies. Awareness and recognition of these problems is an integral part of a comprehensive understanding of the workings and complexity of the European Union.
Required Texts:
Anderson, Jeffrey J. ed. Regional Integration and Democracy: Expanding on the European Experience. Lanham and Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publ., Inc., 1999.
Cederman, Lars-Eric. Constructing Europe’s Identity: The External Dimension. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publ., Inc., 2000.
Greven, Michael Th. And Louis W. Pauly. Democracy Beyond the State? The European Dilemma and the Emerging Global Order. Lanham and Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publ., Inc., 2000.
Guttman, Robert J. Europe in the New Century: Visions of an Emerging Superpower. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publ., Inc., 2000.
Tiersky, Ronald, ed. Europe Today: National Politics, European Integration, and European Security. Lanham and Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publ., Inc., 1999.
Van Oudenren, John. Uniting Europe: European Integration and the Post-Cold War World. Lanham and Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publ., Inc., 1999.
Zeff, Eleanor and Ellen B. Pirro. The European Union and the Member States: Cooperation, Coordination, and Compromise. Boulder: Linne Rienner Publ., Inc., 2001.
Week 1:
Introduction: Policy Development and Governance in the European Union
Week 2:
Economic Integration: From Common Market to Single Market
Week 3:
The Euro: Domestic Factors and International Implications
Week 4:
CAP: History, Reform, and the Challenge of Enlargement
Week 5:
Regional Development Policy
Week 6:
European Trade Policy in an Interdependent World
Week 7:
Social Policy, Unemployment, and Inequality in the European Union
Week 8:
European Law: Evolution and Impact on International Law
Week 9:
Democracy in the European Union
Week 10:
Citizenship and Migration: Politics of Inclusion and Exclusion
Week 11:
European Identity: Historical, Cultural, and Political Aspects
Week 12:
National Politics and Policy Integration
Week 13:
Nationalism and Xenophobia in the European Union: Domestic Sources and the Impact of Globalization