040316 SE Politikinhalte der EU (2020W)

Summary of the course contents:
The policies of the European Union (EU) profoundly affect the lives of people in Europe and around the world. The most commonly known policies to do that are the creation of a single market (~500 million consumers, one of the largest in the world), as well as the creation of the Euro (despite its young age, a powerful international currency). In addition to these economic achievements, the EU has become a serious actor in other areas such as environmental protection, international trade, development aid, international security, etc.
This course will be divided into three parts: the first one will focus on internal policies such as the single market, Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), EU’s social dimension, etc.; the second part will concentrate on EU’s external dimension with policies such as international trade, enlargement, the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), environmental protection, etc.; in the third part students will get acquainted with issues that currently dominate the discourse about EU studies such as public opinion, democratic deficit and legitimacy of the EU.
Completion of the seminar will enable students to have a deeper understanding of selected EU policies and their impact within the EU and at the global level as well as understanding on issues dominating the discourse on the EU.

Objective of the course:
The aim of the course is twofold: a) to enable students gain in-depth understanding of relevant EU policies and select issues dominating the discourse on the EU; b) advance students' ability to produce spoken and written analyses in accordance with good academic practices.

Learning outcomes:
• Detailed understanding about relevant EU policies and select issues currently dominating the discourse on EU studies.
• Class is designed to develop students’ analytical/critical thinking and presentation techniques. Research work and essay writing target the improvement of students’ research and academic writing skills. Hence, students will learn how to:
o Independently produce spoken and written analyses in accordance with good academic practices,
o Raise good analytical questions relevant to topics provided,
o Plan and present own research, and
o Critically analyse and think conceptually about selected EU policies by using reasoned/well-informed arguments.