POLS 326-000: Western European Politics (Fall 2012)

This course on West European politics is meant to provide a more thematic and theoretical approach to the study and analysis of West European politics, rather than an in-depth exploration of specific countries. Country examples and cases will be incorporated throughout the course as means of more substantive illustrations of political concepts. Topics under consideration will include electoral and party systems, executive power, territorial representation, and state-society relations. We will also focus on recent social and political developments in Western Europe, including immigration, globalization, regionalism, and the changing dynamics of the European Union. Although this class focuses on West European politics, we will incorporate the experiences of Eastern and Central Europe into our discussions--focusing on the institutional dynamics and developments that have characterized their post-communist political and economic experiences.