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Dr Vesselin Dimitrov

Prof Michael Bruter, Dr Florian Foos

This course is available to General Course ‘Spring Semester’ students.

Students must have completed Introduction to Political Science (GV101).

The course places particular emphasis on the diverse experiences of liberal democracy in different parts of Europe. The course covers not only long-established democracies in Western Europe, but also the relatively new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe. In the Lent Term, the course will study in depth a number of European countries, such as Britain, France and Germany, analysing the main developments in the country concerned in the last twenty years (elections, parties, governments), and then examining issues of particular interest related to that country.

This course is delivered through a combination of classes and lectures totalling a minimum of 26 and a half hours across Lent Term and Summer Term. Some or all of this teaching will be delivered through a combination of online and on-campus lectures and classes. There will be a reading week in Week 6 of the LT for private study and essay and assessment preparation.

Students will be expected to produce 2 essays in the LT.

T Bale, European Politics: A Comparative Introduction (4th edn) (2017); M Gallagher et al, Representative Government in Modern Europe (5th edn) (2011); P Heywood et al (Eds), Developments in European Politics (2006); S Hix and B Hoyland, The Political System of the European Union (3rd edn) (2011); V Dimitrov, K H Goetz & H Wollmann, Governing after Communism: Institutions and Policymaking (2006); A Lijphart, Patterns of Democracy (2nd edn) (2012).

Exam (100%, duration: 2 hours) in the summer exam period.

GENERAL COURSE ‘SPRING SEMESTER’ STUDENTS ONLY:

The Class Summary Grade for General Course students will be calculated as follows: 15% general contribution to class discussions, 15% presentation(s) and, if applicable, essay outline(s), 60% grading of formative coursework (30% for each of the 2 essays), 10% attendance.