Democracy in the European Union

Module title	Democracy in the European Union
Module code	POL3196
Academic year	2019/0
Credits	30
Module staff	Dr Sandra Kroger (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	11	11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	30

Module description

Democracy in and of the European Union (EU) is a key topic in political science. Political representation is a main feature of democracy and takes many forms – parliaments, parties, interest groups, etc. The EU, ever since the passing of the presumed ‘permissive consensus’ in the early 1990s, has tried to accommodate the uneasiness of its many critics in order to democratize itself. However, despite changes within the institutions of the EU designed to enhance its representative legitimacy, the EU still encounters criticisms of a ‘democratic deficit’. This module focuses on the relationship between democracy and the EU by tracking the developments of the different channels of representation within the EU, and their possible interaction – or lack thereof. It will also discuss the issue of the ‘democratic deficit’, particularly in the light of the Euro debt and financial crisis and the upcoming UK referendum on the EU.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module familiarizes you with core theories, debates and actors of political representation in the EU. It aims at providing you with the skills to engage in current debates on parliaments, parties, interest groups and civil society, and to apply core theories to a range of political phenomena central to this subfield of political science, as well as to critically evaluate the usefulness of these theories. Furthermore, the module familiarizes you with the debate around the democratic deficit of the EU and challenges you to develop your own position on the topic. In doing so, it aims to equip you with the analytical skills required to describe and explain the hybrid system of political representation in the EU. Case studies and a simulation are used to illustrate key issues and challenges. The first part of the module deals with core theoretical debates. The second part focuses on the empirical workings of different actors of political representation in the EU.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. demonstrate understanding of core concepts and approaches regarding democracy, political legitimacy and political representation and their application to the EU context;
2. give an account of the main institutions, actors and processes of governance in the EU;
3. show theoretical and practical knowledge of the debate on the democratic deficit of the EU;
4. critically engage with on-going debates on the democratic deficit and the political legitimacy of the EU;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

5. critically evaluate core concepts;
6. construct rigorous arguments which show an understanding of key theories;
7. deploy theoretical arguments and apply them to empirical case studies in European public policy;
8. justify own choices of theory, research design and method with regard to individual research interests and research questions in the field of EU studies;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

9. critically evaluate ideas and debates;
10. write clearly and coherently;
11. deploy the ability to communicate clearly and deliver presentations to peers;
12. work independently and in collaboration with peers; and
13. use IT for the retrieval and presentation of information.

Syllabus plan

This plan is indicative of the topics to be covered by the module. More details will be given and the plan finalized in the module outline.

Introduction
Representation theory and the institutional architecture of democratic representation
Representation in the EU from the foundations until today
The European Council and the Council of the European Union
The European Parliament I
The European Parliament II
Euro-parties
National Parliaments in EU policy-making I
National Parliaments in EU policy-making II
National parties
The Court of Justice of the European Union
Civil society (organizations): Different approaches
The EU and civil society organizations
The interest system of the EU and the domestic face of CSO involvement
Simulation I
Simulation II
The citizen: the European Citizen Initiative
The citizen: referendums in EU affairs
The democratic deficit debate
The Euro debt and financial crisis: A failure of democratic representation?
The UK and the EU: What kind of representation?
Compound representation in the EU – coherent or colliding?

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
44	256	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities	44	22 x two-hour seminars. These will be a mix of formal lectures led by the co-ordinator, student presentation and student discussion. The emphasis is on weekly seminar presentations; active seminar participation.
Guided independent study	256	A variety of private study tasks directed by module leader, including reading at least two articles per class, the reading for the oral presentation and its preparation, the preparation of the simulation, the reading for the essay, the conducting of research for it and the writing of the essay. The large bulk of the independent study time will be spent with the weekly reading of key texts and the research for and drafting of the essay.

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Essay plan	Max. of 500 words	1-10	Either oral or in writing

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
In-class presentation	20	15 minutes	1-13	Oral feedback
Simulation	20	2 classes	1-13	Oral feedback
Essay	60	4,000 words	1-10	Written feedback

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Presentation	Presentation	1-13	August/September reassessment period
Simulation	written reflection on advantages and disadvantages of a simulation 1400 words	1-13	August/September reassessment period
Essay	Essay (4,000 words)	1-10	August/September reassessment period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

Manin, Bernard, 1997, The Principles of Representative Government, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Introduction, Chapter 2, 4-6, Conclusion.

Pitkin, Hanna, 1967, The Concept of Representation, Berkeley: University of California Press.

Scharpf, Fritz, 1999, Governing in Europe: Effective and Democratic? Oxford: OUP

Richardson, Jeremy and Mazey, Sonja (eds.), 2015, European Union. Power and Policy-Making, 4^th edition. Abingdon: Routledge.

Moravcsik, Andrew, 2002, In Defence of the 'Democratic Deficit': Reassessing Legitimacy in the European Union, Journal of Common Market Studies 40 (4): 603-24.

Follesdal, Andreas and Simon Hix, 2006, Why there is a Democratic Deficit in the European Union. A Response to Majone and Moravcsik, Journal of Common Market Studies 44 (3): 533-62.

Key words search

EU, representation, parties, civil society, government

Credit value	30
Module ECTS	15
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	6
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	01/06/2015
Last revision date	26/09/2019