FSS:VPLb1155 European Union Public Policy - Course Information

VPLb1155 European Union Public Policy

Extent and Intensity

1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

John Frederick Wilton, B.A. (Hons), M. Soc Sc, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

John Frederick Wilton, B.A. (Hons), M. Soc Sc, Ph.D.
Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies
Supplier department: Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/30

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 6 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Course objectives

The students will understand (1) the principles underpinning E.U. public policy, and (2) the process of EU public policy-making in the perspectives of agenda setting, policy formulation, policy decision-making, and policy implementation. The students will learn about different models of analysis at different levels within the EU and different stages of the policy process. They will learn how to use some of the selected approaches of policy analysis.

Learning outcomes

Identifying and explaining the different theoretical models of the political process, and writing an essay on the factors of public policy integration in the EU.

Syllabus

• Lecture 1. The basis of, and principles underpinning, E.U. public policy: harmonization, mutual recognition and convergence?
• Lecture 2. Agenda-setting: role and purpose, fragmentation and the absence of effective policy coordination
• Lecture 3. Policy formulation: the policy communities and policy networks model, policymaking uncertainty, expertise, and epistemic communities, multiple policymaking ‘venues’
• Lecture 4. Policy decision-making: institutional analysis
• Lecture 5. Policy implementation: implementation as a complex and multifaceted process, inter-organizational behavior and implementation analysis, characterizing implementation in the E.U.
• Lecture 6. a) A case study of the E.U. policy process: Welfare, b) The ‘Europeanisation’ of public policy

Literature

required literature
• Resisting marginalization : unemployment experience and social policy in the European Union. Edited by Duncan Gallie. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004, xi, 291. ISBN 0199271852. info

recommended literature
• Richardson, J. European Union. Power and policy-making (Third edition), Oxford, Routledge, 2006.
• Geyer, R. Exploring European Social Policy, Cambridge, Polity Press, 2000
• Hantrais, L. Social Policy in the EU, Basingstoke, Macmillan, 2000 (second edition) or 2007 (third edition).
• Nugent, N. The Government and Politics of the European Union, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.
• HIX, Simon. The political system of the European Union. 2nd ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005, xxii, 490. ISBN 033396182X. URL info
• Environmental policy in Europe : the Europeanization of national environmental policy. Edited by Andrew Jordan - Duncan Liefferink. New York: Routledge, 2004, xix, 251. ISBN 041540679X. URL info
• The politics of europeanization. Edited by Kevin Featherstone - Claudio M. Radaelli. 1st pub. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003, xii, 351. ISBN 0199252092. info
• KLEINMAN, Mark. A european welfare state? :European union social policy in context. 1st pub. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2002, ix, 246 s. ISBN 0-333-69892-4. info
• MCCORMICK, John. Understanding the European Union : a concise introduction. 2. ed. New York: Palgrave, 2002, xvi, 237 s. ISBN 0-333-94868-8. info
• HANTRAIS, Linda. Social policy in the European union. 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 2000, xiv, 273 s. ISBN 0-333-92008-2. info
• ROSAMOND, Ben. Theories of European integration. 1. ed. Houndmills: Palgrave, 2000, xiii, 323. ISBN 0-333-64716-5. info
• Policy-making in the European union. Edited by William Wallace - Helen S. Wallace. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996, xxvii, 509. ISBN 0198781296. info

Teaching methods

lectures, class discussion, reading

Assessment methods

Essay assessment. Essay address answers to following questions: (i) What are the benefits and problems that arise from the processes of agenda-setting and policy implementation at the beginning and end of the European Union public policy cycle? (ii) Can European Union public policy making be described as ‘Europeanised’? (iii) Identify benefits and problems within the E.U. public policy process in one public policy area in respect of the principles of harmonisation, mutual recognition and convergence.

Language of instruction

English

• Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  
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