EUP406 Czech Politics

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2019
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Vlastimil Havlík, 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.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Mon 12:00–13:40 U34
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). Readings for all class discussions are necessary.
Assessment methods
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 present the outline of their final paper (power point presentation). The presentation should be uploaded in the Information system MU (section “Homework vaults”/“Odevzdávárny”) and sent via e-mail to the lecturer responsible for the respective seminar. The presentations should be uploaded and submitted no later than 1 p. m. of the day before the seminar for which the paper is written. The personal presentation in seminar is necessary. Main components of presentation are: definition of goals of final paper, description of its structure, frameworks and methods and theoretical background, short description of chapters, presumed conclusion and information about sources. Topic of presentation (the same as the topic of final paper) should be consulted with lecturer (M. Mareš) and its is necessary to send him information about this topic to 14 March (e-mail mmares@fss.muni.cz). He decides about the date of presentation (in relation to the topic). 4. At the end of the semester students should submit final paper (approx. 35 000 characters including spaces, without literature and notes) on a topic relevant to the course. Deadline for submission is May, 29th. Components of evaluation are original authors approach, relevant goals and methods, theoretical background, conceptualizing of the topic, structure, sources and literature. 5. There will be a final in-class written exam, consisting of five questions based on the required readings and the discussions and presentations in class (each final-exam question gets between 0 and 6 points). Grading: The final grade will be calculated as a composite evaluation consisting of three parts: 1) evaluation on presentation of the outline of final paper (max 6 points) 2) evaluation on the final paper (max. 24 points) 3) evaluation of the final exam (max. 30 points) 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 Workload: Approximately 600 pages of assigned reading (60 per week) Final paper and its presentation Literature is available from internet and from electronic resources of the Masaryk University.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2020.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2019, recent)
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