210139 SE EC: EU institutions and decision-making (2021W)

Students are required to attend classes and come prepared (i.e., having done and thought a bit about the readings). In addition, there will be three types of assignments that together make up the final grade.

- First, students need to deliver a very short presentation, either summarizing key points of the text (in Part I) or make the case for one of sides of a key controversy (in Part II). In both cases, they also need to prepare some questions or examples that can kick off the discussion. The point is not to comprehensively summarize the reading; this is usually boring for most people involved. Rather, it is to identify key points of the reading and spin them further, for example by connecting them to other things you've read, real-world examples, or something you've seen in the news recently. For the presentations in Part 2 it is particularly important to actually make the case for whichever side of a controversy you were assigned to, a bit like in a debating class. Practically, groups will be assigned sessions and can then decide for themselves who wants to argue which side. Presentations can be really short, perhaps 4 and not longer than 5 minutes per person. It's more important that you independently think about the reading and about how to make it interesting for the class. For example, when we discuss whether the EU should have a common army, maybe you find a survey what Europeans actually think about this which you can then use as the basis for your argument. This will make up 30% of your grade.

- Second, we will have a short exam halfway into the seminar that tests whether you remember key arguments from the readings. This will make up 20% of your grade.

- Lastly, students need to write a relatively short term paper, which will make up 50% of your grade. The term paper is actually a collection of two short papers of around 1000-1500 words each. The two papers will focus on one key controversy of European integration (not necessarily one covered in the course). One paper is supposed to use the scientific literature to make the case for one side of such a controversy (e.g. the Euro is good for Europe); the other paper is meant to take the opposing side on the same controversy. Crucially, I will grade whichever term paper is worse (!). The idea is to encourage you to think as hard as you can about both sides of an issue, even if you have a personal preference. If you just make good arguments for your favored side, but bad ones for the 'other side', this will be punished.