As the European Union (EU) has grown in size and become more powerful, its decisions have come to be ever more significant. This course provides a comprehensive overview of how EU policy-making processes work in theory and in practice. In so doing it takes a close look at the key institutions of the EU – the Commission, the Council, and the European Parliament – and considers how they work together and where the balance of power lies. The role that other actors play in these political games is also analysed, including regional governments, lobbyists, and non-governmental actors (NGOs). Attention is drawn to debates relating to the legitimacy of the EU’s political system and to the democratic deficit that critics claim exists. Finally, it examines the story of the Eurozone – what it is, how it came into being, what went wrong, and whether anything can be done to solve the crisis.

This course is based on lecture-seminars. Attendance at every session is compulsory and students are required to read the appropriate material before every session.

The maximum number of students is 20. Priority is given to students majoring in political science at the University of Tampere. In order to register for the course, you must fill in the registration sheet that is placed on the politics notice board (Pinni A, 4th floor) by the end of Monday, 15th October. Those accepted to the course will receive information (by email) of their acceptance on Wednesday, 17th of October.

Assessment will be based on an essay of 8–10 pages (75%) and a seminar paper of 3 pages on a topic unrelated to the essay (25%).

Indicative lecture-seminars for the course:

1. Introduction: Studying the EU as a governance system

2. The Commission and Council: Core competences and how they operate in practice

3. The ‘Voice of the People’: The role of the European Parliament in connecting voters to decision-making

4. Policy-making in practice: The role of interest groups in EU politics. Also: The role of the Courts in interpreting EU law

5. Legitimacy and the Democratic Deficit: The case for reform

6. Governing the Euro: The short and troubled life of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)

7. Conclusions