The European Union, Globalisation and the State

Course Code: PUBLG026

Course Tutor: Dr Christine Reh (Department of Political Science)

Assessment: One 3,000 word essay

Credit Value: 15

About this course

This course aims to equip students with the in-depth empirical knowledge, theoretical awareness and comparative skills necessary to understand and explain whether, why and how established political systems and patterns of policy-making have changed in the face of European and global pressures

A first part introduces the contested concepts of Europeanisation and globalisation, and familiarises students with different theoretical explanations of their domestic impact, as well as with the method of comparison. The course proceeds by discussing the top-down impact of Europeanisation and globalisation on national institutions and political processes, including constitutional politics, executive-legislative relations and representation. We will then look at how EU membership and globalisation have transformed national policies and core state functions—such as the provision of internal and external security or welfare—before turning to Europeanisation beyond Europe, and evaluating the normative repercussions of EU membership and global governance.

By the end of the course, students will:

• be familiar with the conceptual debate about Europeanisation, globalisation and statehood;
• understand the differential impact of EU membership and global governance;
• be able to critically evaluate competing theories of Europeanisation and globalisation;
• be aware of the normative repercussions of European and global pressures;
• have learned to systematically compare national political systems and policies across time.