The Politics of the European Union GOVT 4396 Section

Course
005
Professor Anca Turcu
Term Fall 2006
Meetings TR 3.30PM-4.45PM SOM 1.102

Professor’s Contact Information

Office Phone 972-883-6415
Office LocationGR. 3.222
Email Address anca@utdallas.edu
Office Hours TR 5.00-6.00 PM or by appointment
I encourage students to contact me if they have questions, problems, or
concerns. You can contact me by official UTD e-mail. I can only answer
e-mails sent by students from a UTD account per university policy. You
Other Information
can also call my office or contact me in person during office hours. If
office hours are in conflict with your schedule, I am available for
appointments during the week.

General Course Information

Pre-requisites, Co-
There are no prerequisites for this class.
requisites, & other
restrictions
This class will present the evolution of the European Union from an
economic agreement regarding the joint administration of coal and steel to
the influential supra-national entity it is today. We will examine the
theoretical frameworks that explain the Union’s roots and evolution.
Students should keep in mind this fundamental question while exploring
the EU during this semester: Can we regard the EU today as the result of
Course Description transnational architecture or is the Union better defined as the outcome of
conjunctures, changing international contexts and European domestic
politics?
Major themes of discussion include EU politics, economic development,
institutions and social realities as well as treaties, enlargement and
regionalization-related issues.

On completing this course students will be able to:

1. understand and describe the role and functions of the EU
institutions
Learning Outcomes 2. analyze and discuss EU policies
3. comprehend the EU integration process
4. have an in-depth understanding of EU enlargement
5. analyze US-EU relations
Jackie Gower and Ian Thomson eds., The European Union Handbook,
Second Edition, Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2002
Required Texts & T.R. Reid The United States of Europe— The New Superpower and the
Materials End of American Supremacy, First Edition, Penguin Press, New York,
2004
Articles through UTD library resources (listed below). Please make sure
 you print out the articles, don’t just browse them over the Internet. Start
printing the articles that you need to read before the first exam. Wait until
you take the first exam to print articles that you need to read for the
second exam. Do the same with the articles for the third exam. Please
bring hard copies of the articles due for the day’s readings to class.

Academic Journals:
Main periodical references (available through UTD’s library
electronic journal resources):
European Journal of Political Research (EJPR)
West European Politics (WEP)
Journal of European Public Policy (JEPP)
European Law Journal (ELJ)

On-line References:
European Union Website
http://europa.eu.int/
Index of European Union-related websites
http://docs.lib.duke.edu/igo/guides/euindex.old
Other Resources
George Tsebeli’s Webpage:
http://www.polisci.ucla.edu/tsebelis/

Current Events Resources for Europe:

www.bbcnews.com/europe (BBC News Europe)
www.EUobserver.com
www.EUpolitix.com
http://news.ft.com/home/europe (Financial Times Europe)

WEBCT
http:// webct.utdallas.edu
You will be able to see the syllabus, updated grades and class
announcements by using WEBCT. You need to use your UTD Net
ID to log in.

Assignments & Academic Calendar

Week Topics and Assignments
Introduction and Overview
Week 1: 08/17
No Readings
Europe at the end of World War II: Documentary
Week 2: 08/22
• Reid: Chapter 2
The Founding Fathers
08/24
• Gower and Thomson Chapter 1
Theories of European Integration
• Gower and Thomson Chapter 3
Week 3: 08/29
• Reid Introduction and Chapter 1
 Institutions (I)
• Gower and Thomson Chapter 2, pp. 16-25
• Reid Chapter 4
• “Executive Power in the European Union: the functions and
limits of the Council of Ministers” Hayes-Renshaw, F. and
Wallace, H. – class handouts
08/ 31 • “A knight in tarnished armor; The European
Commission” The Economist, October 30, 2004;
• “A way back; The European Union in crisis” The
Economist, June 25, 2005
• “Whipping the commission into shape” Charlemagne, The
Economist, November 19, 2005, U.S. Edition

Institutions(II)
• Gower and Thomson Chapter 2 pp. 25-31
• “Who are the Masters of the Treaty?: European
Week 4: 09/05 Governments and the European Court of Justice” Alter,
Karen; International Organization, Vol. 52, No.1 (Winter
1998)

Institutions (III)
• “Home Away from Home”, Wiser Michael, The Atlantic
Monthly Oct 2001, Vol. 288, Issue 3
09/07 • “A crucible—or a zoo?” Charlemagne, The Economist, July
24, 2004, U.S. Edition
“The let’s pretend parliament” Charlemagne, The
Economist, October16, 2004, U.S. Edition
Parties in the EP
• “Political Career Paths and the European Parliament” by
Susan Scarrow, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Vol. 22 No. 2
Week 5: 09/12 (May 1997)
• “European Parliament and Supranational Party System”
Amie Kreppel, UTD Library online resources, Ch. 4 and
Ch. 8
09/14 Catch-up and Review
Week 6: 09/19 Exam 1
Policies (I) Agriculture, Competition, Environment
09/21
• Gower and Thompson Ch. 11, 13, 16
Policies (II) Social and Cohesion
Week 7: 09/26 • Gower and Thompson Ch. 14, 15;
• Reid Ch. 6
Economic Integration and the Single Market
• Gower and Thompson Ch. 8, 9;
09/28
• Reid Ch. 3
 EMU and the EU Budget
• Gower and Thompson Ch. 10, 12;
• “Reforming Economic Governance in Europe” Paola
Week 7 : 10/03
Subacchi, International Affairs Vol. 81, No.4, July 2005
• “Cries and gestures; The European Union summit” The
Economist, December 24, 2005, U.S. Edition
EU 25-27
• Gower and Thompson Ch. 7
• “The End of Enlargement?” The Economist, July 16 2005,
U.S. edition
• “European Union Enlargement to the East” Kucera,
10/05 Rudolf; Pontuso, James; Perspectives on Political Science,
Summer2005, Vol. 34 No. 3
• “From Luxembourg to Helsinki: Turkey, the politics of EU
enlargement” Rumford, Chris Contemporary Politics
December 2000, Vol.6 Issue 4

Regionalism and Regional Policies (I)

Handout Instructions for Paper
• “Europe's rebellious regions. The Economist, November
15, 2003
Week 8: 10/10
• Examining and Explaining the Northern League's ‘U-Turn’
from Europe” Chari, Raj; Government and Opposition,
Summer 2004, Vol. 39, No. 3

Regionalism and Regional Policies (II)

• “Drowning in a sea of structural funds?” The Economist,
10/12 March 29 2003
• “Regionalism in the EU” Evans, Andrew Journal of
European Integration, Vol.24 No. 3 (2002)
Week 9: 10/17 Catch-up and Review
10/19 Exam #2
Week 10: 10/24 EU-US Relations; EU- Russia Relations; EU and World Trade
• Gower and Thompson Ch. 24, 25, 26;
• Reid Ch.5
10/26 EU Foreign and Defense Policy
Paper Due
• Gower and Thompson Ch. 22 , 23;
• Reid Ch 7
Week 11: 10/31 Manifestations of Euroskepticism
• Gower and Thompson Ch. 6
• “Contemporary Euroskepticism in the party systems of the
European Union candidate states of Central and Eastern
Europe.” Taggart, Paul; Journal of Political Research,
 January 2004, Vol. 43. Issue 1
• “’Dark Matter’: Institutional Constraints and the Failure of
Party-based Euroskepticism in Germany”: Lees, Charles.
Political Studies, June 2002, Vol. 50 Issue 2
10/02 The Democratic Deficit
• Gower and Thompson Ch 5
• “Analyzing Structured Paths of Lobbying Behavior: Why
Discussing the Involvement of 'Civil Society' Does not Solve
the EU's Democratic Deficit.” Michalowitz, Irina. Journal
of European Integration, Jun2004, Vol. 26 Issue 2
• “Europe's 'Democratic Deficit': The Question of
Standards.” Majone, Giandomenico. European Law
Journal, March 1998, Vol. 4 Issue 1
Week 11: 11/07 EU Law at the National Level and Supranational Cooperation
• Gower and Thompson18, 19
• “Immediate Effect of Community Law in the New Member
States: Is there a Place for a Consistent Doctrine?”
Kaleda, Saulius European Law Journal, January 2004, Vol.
10 Issue 1
11/09 Public Opinion and Current Challenges
• Gower and Thompson 21
• Reid Ch. 8
Week 12: 11/14 The EU of the Future
• Gower and Thompson 29
• Reid Ch.9
11/16 Catch-up and Review
Week 13: 11/21 Exam 3
11/23 No Class- Thanksgiving Holyday
Week 14: 11/28 Exam 3 Pick-up in GR 3.222
11/30 Final Exam at 2.00PM

Course Policies
Exams: There will be three exams and one optional cumulative final in this
class. Exams will cover material from the readings and from the lectures.
Each of the exams will constitute 15% of your exam grade.
There will be no make-up exams. Exams are scheduled well in advance so
that you can plan around these dates. If you miss one of the three midterm
exams, you must take the final (it is no longer optional). The missed 15% of
Grading (credit)
your grade will be allocated over the other exams so that each exam is worth
Criteria
20% of your exam grade.
If you miss more than one exam, you will receive a zero for the additional
missed exam. There are no exceptions. If you have taken all three mid-
terms, and are satisfied with your course grade, do not take the final.
If, however, you are not satisfied with your grade, you may take the
cumulative final. Remember, the final can either raise or lower your course
 grade. Once you sit for any exam, you will receive a grade for that exam.
Bring picture identification to each exam.

Paper: There will be one paper assigned in this class that will constitute 30%
of your final grade. The paper topic will be announced two weeks before the
due date along with instructions for writing and turning in the paper
assignment. Topics and instructions will be handed out October 10th. The
paper will be due on October 26th.
Academic dishonesty policies will apply to all work in this class: including
papers and exams. If you have any questions about what constitutes
plagiarism or concerns about your paper, discuss them with me before you
turn in the paper.

Attendance and participation: will make up 10% of your grade in this class.

Grading: Please note that grades will not be shared through phone, e-mail or
mail. You can log on to WEBCT in order to find out your grades.
Also, please note that incompletes will not be given.

Assignment Values: Grades in this course are based on the exams, the paper
and attendance and participation. If you take three exams, they will each
make up 20% of your grade. If you choose to take four exams, they will each
make up 15% of your grade. The paper will make up 30% of your grade;
attendance and participation are 10% of your grade.
The most assignments you can receive credit for is four exams and one paper.
The minimum necessary to complete the course is three exams and one paper.
There will be no extra credit opportunities.

Grading Scale A+ (100%), A (93-99%), A-(90-92%), B+ (87-89%), B (83-

86%), B- (80-82%), C+ (77-79%), C (73-76%), C- (70-72%), D+ (67-69%),
D (63-66%), D- (60-62%), F (Below 60%).
Make-up Exams There will be no make-up exams in this class.
Extra Credit There will be no extra credit opportunities in this class.
Papers have to be turned in on time. Papers turned in late will be penalized by
Late Work
ten points per day of delay, week-end days included.
Special
There are no special assignments in this class.
Assignments
Attendance is required. Class lectures cover material that you will not be able
Class Attendance
to find in the books. I will not provide notes for students missing class.
Besides interactive participation, I expect discipline in the class room. Be
courteous to others, be on time, do not leave early, unless there is a pertinent
reason and you have notified me.
Classroom
Citizenship
Turn off all cell phones, pagers or other noisemakers before class starts. (This
includes setting your laptop’s volume on mute.)
Laptop users: make sure you are using your laptop exclusively for taking
notes while in class.
Field Trip
N/A
Policies
Student Conduct
The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and
and Discipline
regulations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the
 responsibility of each student and each student organization to be knowledgeable
about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General
information on student conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A
to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the

procedures of recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and
described in the Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas
System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and
Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these
rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students,
where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of
citizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the
Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject
to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place
on or off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such
conduct.

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic
honesty. Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute
integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student
demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions
related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission
Academic as one’s own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic
Integrity dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or
falsifying academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject
to disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and
from any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s
policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the
resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over
90% effective.

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of

communication between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the
same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of each
individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official student email
correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty
Email Use and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a UTD
student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in
the identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted
information. UTD furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used
in all communication with university personnel. The Department of Information
Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas
mail forwarded to other accounts.

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-
Withdrawal from
level courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog.
Class
Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to
handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or
 withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not
receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you
are enrolled.

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and
Activities, of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other

fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make
a serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or
committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”).
Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and
Student evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be
Grievance submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s School Dean.
Procedures If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the
student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not
resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the
Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene
an Academic Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final.
The results of the academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the
Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting
the rules and regulations.

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work
unavoidably missed at the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has
Incomplete
been completed. An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from
Grades
the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the
course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline,
the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational

opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located
in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30
a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30
a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)
Disability
Services
Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable
adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For
example, it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders
or animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an
assignment requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an
oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students
with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The
college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-
taking, or mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to
 faculty members to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations.
Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class
or during office hours.

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required
activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose
places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code,
Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as

possible regarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student,
so excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a
reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a
Religious Holy maximum of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any
Days missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails
to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a
failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the
purpose of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about
whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed
assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling
from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief
executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC
51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief
executive officer or designee.
Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law
Off-Campus and University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities.
Instruction and Information regarding these rules and regulations may be found at
Course Activities http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm.
Additional information is available from the office of the school dean.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.