Public Affairs in the EU: Fields of Action and Instruments

Brief description

  • Methods and instruments of political interest representation in theory and their application (arena analysis: stakeholder mapping, issue management, narrative alignment & framing, storytelling, strategic media work, public affairs strategies)
  • Writing different types of texts for different addressees (policy memo; statements on legislative projects, preparing minutes of talks, press releases, briefings)

Mode of delivery

face to face

Type

compulsory

Recommended or required reading and other learning resources/tools

Dialer, Doris/Richter, Margarethe (Hrsg., 2019): Lobbying in der Europäischen Union, Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
Köppl, Peter (2017): Advanced Power Lobbying. Public Affairs in Zeiten der Digitalisierung, Wien: Linde Verlag.
Beyers, Jan et al. (Hrsg., 2016): Legislative Lobbying in Context, London: Routledge.
Literature will be amended closer to the start of the course in order to respond to current developments

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Guest lectures (e.g. public affairs-officers, campaign managers of international NGOs), discussions, assignments to deepen course contents (group or individual work), presentations, peer reviews of the developed lobby strategies by a pool of experts from the field

Assessment methods and criteria

Continuous assessment (100%): four written assignments (20% each); 10% presentation of assignments; 10% participation & performance

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

2025

Semester

1 WS

Incoming

No

Learning outcome

After successful completion of the module, students can:

  • explain the theoretical foundations of political interest representation
  • identify actors, institutions and legal as well as structural framework conditions of interest representation in the nation state and in the European multi-level governance and to understand them with regard to their effectiveness
  • describe different methods and instruments of political interest work and to apply them in a goal-oriented way according to different framework conditions
  • prepare text types that are used in advocacy work (especially policy memo, press release)
  • analyse practical examples with regard to weaknesses and strengths on the basis of theoretical principles
  • evaluate and interpret functional and dysfunctional forms of political advocacy and their effects on processes of democratic decision-making
  • develop their own lobby strategies on the basis of practice-related guidelines and to formulate the methodical approach.

Course code

0899-23-01-VZ-DE-02