EU Integration Theories

Periodo di svolgimento
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Info sul corso
Ore del corso
20
Ore dei docenti responsabili
20
Ore di didattica integrativa
0
CFU 3
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Modalità esame

Prova scritta e orale

Prerequisiti

Optional for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students of the PhD Programme in "Political Science and Sociology"

Optional for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students of the PhD Programme in "Transnational Governance"

Optional for the 4th and 5th year students of the MA Programme in "Political and Social Sciences"

Programma

The course introduces students to the main theories of European integration, both ‘grand-theories’ such as intergovernmentalism and neo-functionalism, and ‘mid-range’ governance approaches. The course will engage with some of the classic contributions in the field of EU integration theory, and it will discuss newer refinements of the ‘old’ theories like new-intergovernmentalism. Rather than presenting the theories of EU integration at the abstract level, the module will apply them to specific empirical cases.

Specifically, it will be divided into two parts. The first part will focus on the EU institutions: the ‘supranational’ institutions like the Commission and the European Parliament and the ‘intergovernmental’ institutions like the European Council and the Council of the EU. It will seek to understand whether the traditional EU integration theories can still be effectively used to understand the role currently played by the EU institutions in the EU political system. It will focus on recent crises of the EU (e.g., Brexit, the COVID pandemic) and will make use of empirical data (e.g., votes in the EP; conclusions of the European Council).

The second part will focus on socio-economic governance and policies. In line with what we do in the first part, we will focus on key programmes (e.g. the European Semester and Next Generation EU) through the lenses of integration theories. We will focus on recent crises to test the capacity of integration theories to allow the effective interpretation of the EU.

At the end of the course students are expected to critically understand the main theories of European integration and apply them to recent developments in, and crises of, integration. Students should be able to figure out the drivers of integration and understand the institutional features of the EU, developing a deep understanding of the different positions in the literature. They are also expected to know the key aspects of the EU economic and social governance and institutional architecture of the EU.

Each student is expected to make an oral presentation of one or more scientific articles (to be agreed with the instructors).PhD students willing to write their term paper on the topic of the course, between 5,000 and 6,000 words, must agree the topic of the paper with the professor.

Course format:

The first three classes of each part will be based on a mix of lectures and seminars.

The last class of each part will be dedicated to students’ presentations.

 

Assessment:

Each student is expected to make an oral presentation of one or more scientific articles (the choice has to be agreed with the instructors).

PhD students willing to write their term paper on the topic of the course, between 5,000 and 6,000 words, must agree the topic of the paper with the professor.

Master students must produce a final paper (in English), with a maximum length of 3,000 words, on one of the topics covered during the course, to be agreed with the instructors (please note: students are encouraged to write their essay on the topic of the presentation). This paper will be assessed on a 30/30 bases and, upon request, can be written in Italian.

 

PART I

 

Session N.1

Introduction to the module and European integration theories

2.5 hours (19 January 2024, 2-4.30pm)

Instructors: EB & DN

 

Required readings:

Wiener, A., Borzel T. & T. Risse (2018) (eds.), European Integration Theory, Oxford, OUP, chapter 1

Cini, M. & N. Pérez-Solórzano Borragán (2022)European Union Politics (7th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Part II.

Hix. S. & B. Hoyland (2022). The Political System of the European Union. London: Bloomsbury, Introduction & Conclusion

 

Session N.2

(New)-Intergovernmentalism and the Councils of the EU

2.5 hours (23 January 2024, 2-4.30pm)

Instructor: EB

 

Required readings:

Bickerton, C. J.; Hodson, D. & Puetter U. (2015), The New Intergovernmentalism: European Integration in the Post-Maastricht Era, Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol. 53, No. 4, pp. 703–722.

Bressanelli, E., Koop, C. & Reh, C. (2023), In the Shadow of the Heads? The influence of the European Council on Supranational Law-Making. Unpublished manuscript.

Smeets S. & D. Beach (2022) ‘It takes three to tango’: new inter-institutional dynamics in managing major crisis reform, Journal of European Public Policy, 29:9, 1414-1432

 

Session N.3

(Post-)functionalism and the European Commission

2.5 hours (30 January 2024, 2-4.30pm)

Instructor: EB

 

Required readings

Hooghe, L. & G. Marks (2009). A Postfunctionalist Theory of European Integration: From Permissive Consensus to Constraining Dissensus, British Journal of Political Science. 39:1, 1-23.

Kassim H. (2023) The European Commission and the COVID-19 pandemic: a pluri-institutional approach, Journal of European Public Policy, 30:4, 612-634 

Rauh C. (2019) EU politicization and policy initiatives of the European Commission: the case of consumer policy, Journal of European Public Policy, 26:3, 344-365

 

Session N. 4

Neo-Institutionalism and the role of ideas and discourses

3 hours (31 January 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm)

Instructor: DN 

 

Required Readings

A.Wiener, T. Borzel, T. Risse (2018) (eds.), European Integration Theory, Oxford, OUP, chapter 8.

K. Lyngaard (2019), Discourse Analysis and European Union Politics, London, Palgrave MacMillan, chapter 1.

P.R. Graziano and J. Tosun (eds.), Elgar Encyclopedia of European Public Policy, E. Elgar, chapter 51.

 

Session N.5

Governance perspective

3 hours (1 February 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm)

Instructor: DN

 

Required Readings:

A.Wiener, T. Borzel, T. Risse (2018) (eds.), European Integration Theory, Oxford, OUP, chapter 5.

P.R. Graziano and J. Tosun (eds.), Elgar Encyclopedia of European Public Policy, E. Elgar, chapters 7 and 8.

  

Session N.6

Presentations

3 hours (2 February 2024, 9.30am-12.30pm)

Articles to be agreed with the instructor (DN).

 

Session N. 7

Presentations: Democratic Politics in the EU

 

2.5 hours (6 February 2024, 2-4.30pm)

Articles to be agreed with the instructor (EB).

Obiettivi formativi

- critically understand the main theories of European integration 

- apply theories to recent developments in, and crises of, integration

- advanced understanding of the main institutional features and key policies of the EU

Riferimenti bibliografici

Required readings:

Cini, M. & N. Pérez-Solórzano Borragán (2022). European Union Politics (7th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Part II.

Hix. S. & B. Hoyland (2022). The Political System of the European Union. London: Bloomsbury.

Specific readings will be assigned on the EU institutions (Part I - with Edoardo Bressanelli) and on socio-econonomic governance and policies (Part II - with David Natali).