Political Science

The course introduces the basics of the European Union and describes and explains the processes of widening and deepening of this unique political entity. An overview of European Union history, its evolution in economic and political terms, as well as of its institutional structure up to today is provided. Internal politics and policies, for example the decision-making process, the balance of power, identity and democratic questions in this new system of governance, are discussed. Likewise in the realm of external affairs, the Common Foreign and Security Policy, relations with neighbors and with developing countries is a main focus of the course. Particularly important aspects include the discussion on future expansion as well as the consequences of the financial crisis and the Lisbon Treaty. The morning sessions consist of lectures, literature-based discussions, and oral presentations from working groups. Students visit various institutions in Germany`s political center as a component of this course. Students have the chance to discuss the topics from the morning sessions with international experts from political institutions, embassies, and think tanks.

This course is about nations and nationalism since the eighteenth century. It provides basic concepts and historical examples. Nation and nationalism are presented in a rather neutral way, which means neither nationalist nor curative. This approach reflects today's global understanding of national realities, nationality, and nation-states. As the scope of the course is more international than French, nationalism is not presented as “nationalisme,” which is often understood as a social disease in current French debate. Examples are taken from world history and issues are addressed on a world scale. The course also compares the different paths of state-building: the city, the empire, and the nation. Topics include founding fathers of the modern nation; founding fathers of nationalism; relevance of the nation in the 19th and 20th centuries; the dominant feature: equality or liberty; modern nationalism; wars, nations, and empires; history vs sociology; ethnocultural reality vs political myth; from resistance to unity; and new types of nationalism.

The UK’s departure from the EU is a historical event, with global political and economic implications. This course gives students a comprehensive understanding of the causes and consequences of Brexit: Why did British people come to this unexpected decision? Will the British economy survive the shock of leaving the EU? Could this be the beginning of the end for the European Union? In the process, students learn about UK and EU politics, economics, and political economy. The course includes team work on multimedia projects, such as a hypothetical campaign for the next country that considers leaving the EU. The course also includes visits to the European Commission’s Representation to the UK and the headquarters of the pro-EU campaign, as well as talks by representatives of organizations on both sides of the Brexit campaign, such as the European Movement and Change Britain.

This course gives students an understanding of the full range of leading topics and areas of debate and research relevant to the analysis of political institutions and politics in Europe. The course focuses on both traditional fields of comparative inquiry, such as the study of party competition and voting behavior, and emerging fields of interest, such as national and European identities, immigration, and Europeanization. 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 addition, the course studies in depth a number of European countries, such as Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, analyzing the main developments in the country concerned in the last 20 years (elections, parties, governments). The course then examines issues of particular interest related to that country.