Analysis of Political Systems: Austria, Germany and the EU

  • Introduction to the basics and theories for the analysis of political systems
  • Comparative presentation of the political systems of Germany, Austria and the EU multi-level system on the basis of their history of development and constitutionalisation
  • Constitutionalisation of rule on the basis of different governmental systems and questions of statehood in the course of European integration processes
  • Differentiation of regional, national and supranational actors in the shaping of European policy
  • Quality of democracy and questions of legitimacy of national and European governance
  • Political decision-making procedures and parliamentarism
  • Electoral systems and electoral behaviour
  • Party systems and political competition
  • The role of opposition and political style (populism, political culture)
  • Organised interests: social partnership and lobbying
  • The role of civil society

Mode of delivery

face to face

Type

compulsory

Recommended or required reading and other learning resources/tools

Ismayr, Wolfgang (Hrsg., 2009): Die politischen Systeme Westeuropas, 4. Aufl., Wiesbaden: VS Verlag.
Lauth, Hans-Joachim/Pickel, Gert/Pickel, Susanne (2014): Vergleich politischer Systeme, Paderborn: UTB Schöning.
Schrenk, Klemens S./Soldner, Markus (Hrsg., 2010): Analyse demokratischer Regierungssysteme, Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
Richardson, Jeremy/Mazey, Sonia (Hrsg., 2015): European Union. Power and Policy-Making, 4. Aufl., New York: Routledge.
Wallace, Helen/Pollack, Mark A./Young, Alasdair R. (Hrsg., 2015): Policy-Making in the European Union, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Gabriel, Oscar W./Kropp, Sabine (Hrsg., 2008): Die EU-Staaten im Vergleich. Strukturen, Prozesse, Politikinhalte, Wiesbaden: VS Verlag.
Abbas, Nabila/Förster, Annette/Richter, Emanuel (Hrsg., 2015): Supranationalität und Demokratie. Die Europäische Union in Zeiten der Krise, Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
Merkel, Wolfgang (Hrsg., 2015): Demokratie und Krise, Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
Salzborn, Samuel (2021): Demokratie, Baden-Baden: Nomos, Kapitel 9: Typologien demokratischer Regierungsformen, S. 87-95.
Literature will be amended closer to the start of the course in order to respond to current developments.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Text assignments (individual work); guest lectures/fireside chats, discussions, preparation of scientific thesis papers and presentation in the form of group presentations or essays.

Assessment methods and criteria

Final exam (60%) and continuous assessment parts (40%): continuous assessment parts consist of: 4 text questions (à 5%), group presentation or essay (à 20%).

Prerequisites and co-requisites

None

Infos

Degree programme

Europäische Wirtschaftspolitik

Cycle

International Programme

ECTS Credits

5.00

Language of instruction

German

Curriculum

Full-Time

Academic year

2024

Semester

2 SS

Incoming

Yes

Learning outcome

After successful completion of the module, students can:

  • describe the essential institutions and their functions (parliament, government, constitution, federal president, judiciary) as well as the relevant actors (political parties, associations, civil society) of the political process,
  • name the essential theories and qualitative methods for the analysis of political systems - linked via the analytical concepts of Europeanisation and multi-level systems - and to explain their differences, similarities and particularities,
  • take up current developments and changes (from consensus to conflict democracy),
  • to formulate hypotheses on the political challenges and conflict potentials in the process of European integration and renationalisation,
  • identify and theoretically classify central questions for the analysis of political systems and compare them on the basis of the political systems of Germany, Austria and the European Union.

Course code

0899-23-01-VZ-DE-07