European Integration and International Competition

This seminar examines classic debates and current literature on European
politics.  Through a process of continent-wide integration, Europe has
become the world’s most advanced experiment in supranational governance
beyond the level of the nation state.  Recently, however, international
financial turbulence has thrown the European Union’s recipe for regional
integration into question.  This seminar seeks to uncover the political
and economic dynamics of the integration process as a foundation for
examining Europe’s changing place in cross-border economic competition,
international regulatory arrangements, and geopolitical change.

While surveying the empirical record of integration, the syllabus also
assesses alternative theoretical perspectives to illuminate how the ties
between social change and political authority are evolving in Europe. 
After reviewing the central debates on integration, the seminar builds a
conceptual framework, and then examines specific cases of policy change
including currency policy, financial regulation, social policy, trade
negotiations, and environmental protection.

Requirements include several reading memos, an in-class research
presentation, and a longer research paper.  The course is intended for
graduate students with some prior background in comparative Europe or in
international relations theory.  Others may be admitted with the
instructor’s approval.  Readings are focused on Europe, but interested
students from other areas are encouraged to apply frameworks from the
course to other examples of regional integration.