EUP406 Czech Politics

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2010
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. JUDr. PhDr. Marek Čejka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. JUDr. PhDr. Miroslav Mareš, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Navrátil, Ph.D. (lecturer)
PhDr. Pavel Pšeja, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Timetable
Fri 5. 3. 10:00–15:40 U43, Fri 16. 4. 10:00–15:40 U43, Fri 30. 4. 10:00–15:40 U43
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course introduces students to the political microanalysis. It introduces them to the politics in Czech Republic as a model of the political and other social problems that can be encountered in the region of Central Europe. At the end of the course the students shall be able to understand the processes of transformation of the post-communist country in Europe from a country-specific point of view.They shall be able to identify most imporatnt fields of polity, politics and policy in the Czech Republic.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Precursors of Czechoslovakia
  • 3. History of Czechoslovakia 1918-1992)
  • 4. Political Culture and Democracy in the Czech Republic
  • 5. Constitutional and Institutional Framework of the Czech Republic
  • 6. Party System of the Czech Republic
  • 7. System of Organized Interests
  • 8. Media in the Czech Politics
  • 9. Policies in the Czech Republic
  • 10. Foreign Policy of the Czech Republic
  • 11. Czech republic and the EU
  • 12. Political Science in the Czech Republic
  • 13. Course Synthesis and Review for Final Test
Literature
  • Dušek, Libor, Žigič (ed.): Czech Republic 2005. Year After. Prague: CERGE, NÚ AV ČR, pp. 71-86. http://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/books/CR2005.pdf
  • Further readings are available on internet (see detailed syllabus)
  • Perotino, M. (2005): Political Parties Finances in the Czech Republic. Praha: Europeum. http://www.europeum.org/doc/arch_eur/political_parties_finances_CZ.pdf
  • AGNEW, Hugh LeCaine. The Czechs and the lands of the Bohemian Crown. Stanford, Calif.: Hoover Institution Press, Stanford University, 2004, xxviii, 44. ISBN 9780817944926. info
Teaching methods
Sessions are divided into the lectures (first half) and class discussions (second half). Class discussion is connected with position papers written by students. Radings for all class discussions are necessary.
Assessment methods
Course Requirements:
1. Students are expected to read the required reading(s) for each seminar. If there are two or more required readings rather than one, students are expected to read all of them.
2. Students are encouraged to actively participate in the seminars by posing questions of clarification or bringing up problems for discussion.
3. Students are expected to write six short position papers (300-600 words each) on six different seminar topics. The papers should include a summary of the main points of the required reading(s), a critique of these readings, questions of clarification, and possible questions for discussion.
To enable the organization of the in-class discussion, papers must have three clearly identified sections:
1) a summary section entitled Summary;
2) a critique section entitled Critique;
3) a section containing questions for discussion entitled Questions.
Papers that do not have this structure and contain different points scattered throughout the text will be rejected and will not count towards the students grade. The position papers should be sent via e-mail to the lecturer responsible for the respective seminar. The papers should be submitted no later than 1 p. m. of the day before the seminar for which the paper is written.
4. At the end of the semester students should submit a 10-page long final paper on a topic relevant to the course.
5. There will be a final in-class written exam, consisting of four questions based on the required readings and the discussions in class.
Grading:
The final grade will be calculated as a composite evaluation consisting of three parts:
1) evaluation on the six position papers
2) evaluation on the final paper
3) evaluation on the final exam
Students will be awarded 18 points for the submission of six position papers of acceptable quality, in compliance with the required structure of position papers, and in the specified deadline. The points are awarded as a bulk evaluation for the submission of all papers; separate papers do not get points. This means that no points at all will be awarded for the submission of less than six position papers. Late submissions and submission of papers that do not meet the minimal requirements of quality and structure are not acceptable. Students will be awarded 18 points for the submission of a final paper of acceptable quality.
Each final-exam question gets between 0 and 6 points (max. 24 points overall for the final exam).
The grade will be calculated on the basis of the number of points collected. In order to complete the course, students must collect at least 36 points (60% of the max. points for all parts, i.e. 60 points).
Notes:
56-60: A
51-55: B
46-50: C
41-45: D
36-40: E
0-35: F
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Teacher's information
http://eupolitics.fss.muni.cz/docs/czech_politics.pdf
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2019, Spring 2020.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2010, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2010/EUP406