European Public Policy

Module Description

The aim of this course is to analyse the institutional set-up, the policy-making processes and the main policies of the European Union. The first part of the course examines the main institutions and policy-making processes of the EU; the ‘old’ theories of European integration and the ‘new’ theories of EU governance with a focus on recent literature related to the post-crisis period. The second part of the course examines key issues which are part of the new European Commission policy priorities including the single market, the economic and monetary union, energy, climate change and environmental policy.

Module Objectives

• To explain the political and legal dynamics of European integration and of the specificities of the institutional order it has generated;
• to offer substantial insights into the practice of policy-making in the EU system;
• to analyse the main policies of the EU;
• to evaluate the challenges posed to the political and institutional system of the EU by recent crises;
• to improve the clarity and organisation of both written and oral expression, and to familiarise participants with the use of offical EU sources.

Preliminary Reading

Students will be expected throughout to consult primary sources, to be familiar with the treaties and with the various publications of EC/EU institutions. The suggested readings are deliberately intended to provide a wide range of possible sources to consult and should be consulted selectively.

A basic introduction for students that have not studied EU politics before, this preliminary reading would be helpful:

Warleigh-Lack, Alex (2009) European Union: the basics, (Abingdon: Routledge).

The most up-to-date text books covering most of the subject areas of the course are:

Cini, M. and Pérez-Solórzano Borragán, N. (eds.) (2013) European Union Politics, 4^th edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

Wallace, W. H., Pollack, M. and Young, A. (eds.) (2015) Policy-Making in the European Union, 7^hedition (Oxford: Oxford University Press).

Other strongly recommended textbooks are:

Bache, I., George, S. and Bulmer, S. (2011) Politics in the European Union (Oxford: OUP)

Jones, E., Menon, A. and Weatherhill, S. (2012) The Oxford Handbook of the European Union(Oxford: OUP). 

Nugent, N. (2010) The government and politics of the European Union (Basingstoke: Palgrave).

Assessment

One essay of 4000 words (100% of total mark).