Europe
and the International System
Writing Assignment and Oral
Presentation Guidelines
Theme and Thesis
The theme of the paper should elaborate on how best
to understand the nature of European integration. That is to say, the
paper should be centered on a “why?” question and its
thesis should finish the sentence: “European integration is best
understood…” There are an infinite number of ways of
answering this question which allows students to tailor their paper to
their interests regarding European politics and policy. Some examples
of theses that might build on the essay set-up are as follows:
• “European integration is best understood through the
perspective of functionalist theories of regional integration.”
• “European integration is best understood as a process that
involves periods of rapid change followed by periods of relative
stasis.”
• “European integration is best understood as a process led
by those EU states with the most power.”
• “European
integration is best understood in terms of multiple levels of
governance.”
• “European integration is best understood as a process in
which economic integration has been achieved more easily than the
creation of a unified European Union foreign policy.”
• “European integration is best understood on the basis of
the EU’s response to the financial crisis that began in
2008.”
• “European integration is best understood as a function of
the construction of political identities.”
• “European integration is best understood using the theory
of intergovernmental institutionalism.”
Notice that each of these theses could come about by
asking a question about some curious aspect of European politics and
policy. The type of question each thesis above corresponds to are as
follows:
• Why are some policy issues delegated to the institutions of the
European Union more readily than others?
• Why has European integration taken so long?
• Why are some issues resolved in the European Union more easily
than others?
• Why are there so many laws and regulations in the European Union?
• Why hasn’t the European Union responded rapidly to
international crises?
• Why have political divisions occurred recently in the European
Union over economic policy?
• Why has immigration policy been difficult to resolve in the
European Union?
• Why do national elections often alter the agenda of European
integration?
In other words, writing the paper for this course
involves three main tasks—finding something interesting about
European politics and policy that needs to be explained, using the
theories of European integration discussed in course readings and
classroom discussions to come up with an answer, and then finding
empirical evidence to support the paper’s thesis statement.
Why the Emphasis on European
Integration?
A fair question could be asked, why should the
paper’s theme and thesis center on European integration? The main
reason for this is that right now European integration is where the
most interesting analytical and theoretical debates are in
the study of European politics and policy. One of the important aspects
of this course is to prepare students for senior theses in the social
sciences. A key element in any social science analytical essay is the
evaluation of competing theories, paradigms, frameworks for analysis,
and schools of thought that seek to explain interesting and curious
outcomes. In the study of European politics and policy today, theories
of European integration comprise the most vibrant analytical debates in
the study of politics and foreign policy. Therefore, crafting an essay
that utilizes competing theories of European integration is a good
exercise to prepare for a social science senior thesis.
The emphasis on European integration also permits a
range of issue areas on which each student’s paper can be
focused. That is to say, developments in myriad aspects of European
domestic and foreign policy can be elucidated analytically by situating
them in the context of European integration. Thus, the paper can take
European integration as a starting point and then be about some aspect
of European politics and policy that is made intelligible within the
context of European integration.
Identifying a Question and Developing
a Thesis
The first task in an analytical paper of this nature
is to identify a question worthy of asking. The best questions
typically begin with the word “why?” because they prompt
and answer that comes in the form of an explanation. Political science
(and other social sciences such as economics and sociology) are
interested in explaining why certain outcomes occur because those
explanations will aid in creating theories that explain similar
outcomes. For this class, identifying a worthwhile question can be as
simple as observing something curious about European politics and
policy, the explanation for which is not readily apparent or obvious.
(A question to which the answer is readily apparent or obvious either
has already been explained or does not raise a curiosity.) Students
should be able to identify a curious aspect of European politics or
policy that begs an interesting question simply by following the news
about Europe or doing a small amount of research into the contemporary
history of European politics.
Once an interesting question has been identified,
students can begin to develop an answer (the paper’s thesis)
using the theoretical essays provided in course readings. For the most
part, in developing their theses students should be able to avail
themselves of the main theories of European integration (to be
discussed over the course of the semester). Students may also want to
draw on the broad paradigms and theories of international relations
covered in the introductory International Politics (POLI 214) course
(if they have taken it or its equivalent at another institution) as
well as additional theoretical materials on European integration either
cited in course readings or readily available at the Hatfield Library
or online (e.g., in online scholarly journals). In most cases, course
readings should be sufficient for developing the paper’s thesis,
although use of other theoretical works (i.e., those referenced and/or
cited in course readings) available at Hatfield and online will be
useful in fleshing out the paper’s themes.
Students should also consider alternative arguments,
theses, and points of view in their paper. That is to say, if a
paper’s thesis explains some aspect of European politics and
policy using a specific theory or European integration, at least one
other rival theory of European integration should be evaluated
somewhere else in the paper. This is an essential ingredient of any
analytical social science paper.
Research and Empirical Evidence
Evidence to support the paper’s thesis can be
about any aspect of European politics and policy. Relevant
topics/issue areas that could serve as the paper’s subject matter
include, but are not limited to, the following (i.e., this
is only a partial list):
• European Union relations with prospective member states
• European security and defense policy
• European Union support of nascent democracies
• Immigration policies in Europe
• Free trade policy in the European Union
• Economic and monetary policy in the European Union
• European Union relations with international organizations such
as the Word Trade Organization
• Harmonization of human rights standards in the European Union
• European Union environmental policy
• Policies on crime and law enforcement in the European Union
• The European Union and conflict resolution
• European Union foreign aid to poor countries
• Peacekeeping operations of the European Union
• Social policy in the European Union
• Standardization of European Union health and safety policy
• European Union relations with other countries
Empirical evidence for the paper can be acquired
simply by reading daily news accounts of European integration,
politics, and policy. Additionally, students can find ample information
about European integration, politics, and policy through books and
articles readily available in the Hatfield Library and online as well
as newspaper and other news organization archives also readily
available via library and online resources.
Organization
Analytical essays of the nature assigned for this
course typically adhere to some variation on the following organization:
• Introduction
• Brief statement of empirical issue to be explained
• Review of theoretical literature, i.e., schools of thought that
might explain the empirical issue
• Presentation of evidence, facts, and information
• Analysis of theoretical literature in light of evidence, facts,
and information
• Conclusion
Each draft of the paper should be divided into sections and the
sections should be indicated by descriptive subject headings (e.g., not
just “Brief statement of empirical issue to be explained”).
Multiple Drafts
Three drafts (plus a peer editing draft) of the
paper will be handed in over the course of the semester. The paper
represents a single analytical and research project to be revised over
the course of multiple iterations. Therefore, the paper’s thesis
could and should be sharpened, revised, or even altered to take account
of competing theories and/or newly uncovered evidence.
Additionally, over the course of multiple drafts students should take
the opportunity to alter the order of sections or subsections to
accentuate the theoretical and empirical propositions and conclusions,
add or remove sources to the literature review, evaluate additional
existing claims, add or delete additional or unnecessary empirical
information, rectify errors of analysis in the evaluation section,
strengthen or clarify the introduction and/or conclusion, correct
errors of grammar and syntax and improve the prose.
Length
There is no required minimum or maximum length for
each draft of the paper. There is an old adage (variously attributed to
Abraham Lincoln or J. D. Salinger) that, in answer to the question
“how long should a man’s legs be?,” the answer is
“long enough to reach the ground.” In other words, your
paper should be long enough to accomplish its task (no longer, and no
shorter). Having said that, it is most likely that a good first draft
will range between 2000 and 4000 words (7 to 13 pages), a good second
draft probably will fall into the 3000 to 5000 word range (10 to 17
pages), and a good final draft most will most likely run between 4000
to 6000 words (13 to 20 pages), all give or take. Each draft of the
paper should include a title (on a title page), an abstract, and a
bibliography.
Abstract
Each draft of the paper should be accompanied by an
abstract that precedes the main text. An abstract is a short (typically
one paragraph) summary of a paper and its findings. Most scholarly
journals include abstracts that accompany published articles. Students
should consult some scholarly journals of political science and
international studies to familiarize themselves with the standard
method for crafting a one-paragraph abstract.
Style
Students may use any accepted style (e.g., Chicago,
MLA, etc.) in formatting the paper. Students should ensure, however,
that they use whatever style they choose consistently throughout the
paper.
Grading and Deadline
Because the main written work for this class is a
research paper with an extended period to complete it, assignments
handed in late will be assessed a third of a grade penalty for every
day after the deadline they are submitted (for example, an
“A–” paper handed in one day late will be marked down
a third of a grade to a “B+”). Papers are due no later than
the start of class on the day they are due (or the equivalent if the
paper is due on a day on which class is not regularly held). The only
exceptions made will be for serious illness.
Evaluation of Written Work
An excellent paper will demonstrate excellence in
the following:
• It will be well written in terms of prose, grammar, and syntax.
• It will be well organized and follow a logical progression of
thoughts.
• It will have a clearly stated and cogent thesis.
• Its thesis will be supported by logical arguments.
• Its thesis will be balanced with counter-arguments and/or
competing explanations.
• It will cite relevant course readings and other material as
relevant.
• It will be illustrated with empirical examples and other factual
material as relevant.
• It will have the appropriate scope, i.e., not too narrow or
broad in focus.
• It will adopt an analytical (not partisan) tone unless otherwise
directed.
Grading Criteria
Generally speaking, when affixing grades to essays
and other assignments, the instructor will adhere to the qualitative
assessments associated with letter grades as specified in the CLA
Catalog:
A = Excellent
B = Good
C = Satisfactory
D = Below Standard
F = Failing
See http://www.willamette.edu/cla/catalog/resources/policies/
Note on Originality
The paper must be your own written work. You may not
copy, borrow, or appropriate other authors’ work, unless you are
doing so in the form of a cited quotation. All references to other
authors’ work must be fully documented in the form of citations
and/or footnotes, and direct quotes must be indicated as such with
quotation marks. Suspected cases of plagiarism will be pursued
vigorously and appropriate penalties (including an “F” for
the course) will be applied.
Oral Presentation
In their oral presentations students should convey
to the rest of the class the themes developed in their papers. The
purpose of the oral presentation is to succinctly convey in speech the
ideas that are laid out in greater depth and detail in writing. One way
to think about the oral presentation is to imagine that you are
explaining your project to a reasonably well-educated person who has
not taken this particular class. Each section of the paper should be
included in the oral presentation (the presentation in most cases will
follow the organization of the paper), but technical details
(particularly dealing with theoretical material) in most cases should
be simplified so that someone who has not necessarily studied European
integration can still make sense of the analytical perspectives that
inform the paper’s thesis.
Visual presentation software (e.g., Powerpoint,
Prezi) may be used for the oral presentation but is not required. If
you do use visual presentation software, remember that text-heavy
slides typically are not effective as they distract the audience. Keep
it simple. Also, it is each student’s responsibility to make sure
files and devices used for visual presentation are compatible with the
electronic devices installed in the classroom.