Politics 370W Europe and the International System
Spring Semester 2011
Smullin Hall Room 130
MWF 11:30–12:30
Course Web Page: http://www.willamette.edu/~mmarks/poli-370.htm
Prof. Michael Marks
Office: Smullin 332
Office Tel. 503-370-6932
E-mail: mmarks@willamette.edu
Home Page: http://www.willamette.edu/~mmarks
Office Hours: MWF: 8:00–9:00, 10:15–11:15, and by appointment.
Course Description
This course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to
engage in an in-depth study of politics and foreign policy in modern
Europe. Through in-class discussions, research, and writing students
will examine the changing political structures, contexts, and
relationships within, between, and among countries in post-Cold War
Europe. Special emphasis is placed on the evolving relationships among
European countries in a rapidly changing international environment. The
purpose of the course is to help students make sense out of the changes
sweeping Europe by understanding these changes in theoretical and
historical perspective. In their hands-on research students will
explore the political, economic, and security policies in European
states as well as Europe’s interactions with the rest of the
world.
This class fulfils in part the writing-centered component of
Willamette’s undergraduate general education requirements. The
main writing project is a research paper that will be developed over
multiple drafts. Therefore, this course provides an excellent
opportunity for Politics and International Studies majors to prepare
for their senior theses in these majors.
Student Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this course students should be able to write an
extended research paper on a topic of each student’s choosing
analyzing some aspect of European politics. In the research paper each
student should effectively demonstrate the ability to:
1. Write well in terms of prose, grammar, and syntax.
2. Organize ideas in a logical progression of thoughts.
3. Answer an interesting “puzzle,” the answer to which is not readily obvious or apparent.
4. State a clear and cogent thesis.
5. Review and cite relevant scholarly literature on the fundamental theoretical questions involved.
6. Support the paper’s thesis with logical arguments
7. Present the paper’s thesis balanced with an assessment of counter-arguments and/or competing explanations.
8. Include in the paper adequate and relevant evidence.
9. Maintain the paper’s proper scope so that it is not too narrow or broad.
10. Adopt an appropriate tone of analysis (not partisanship).
Course Organization
Class will meet three times a week. Classroom format will consist of a
combination of instructor-led lessons and student discussions.
Opportunities will also be made available for student presentations of
their work in progress on their research papers. Class attendance is
mandatory. Throughout the semester time will be set aside for
individual student–instructor consultations on research paper
projects.
About Class Participation
Given the collaborative nature of the research paper process, students
are expected to participate in offering guidance and feedback to their
peers. Therefore, students are expected to be prepared to discuss each
other’s work in progress. Shyness will be respected, but silence
will not be allowed. I also thus reserve the right to raise final
grades for superior classroom participation, and lower final grades for
unpreparedness, disruptiveness, and deficient classroom attendance.
Electronic Devices in the Classroom
Laptop computers can assist in note taking and wireless Internet access
on campus can aid in organized classroom exercises. However, laptop
computers can also be a classroom distraction. Laptop computers are
permitted in class for note taking purposes. Additionally, there may be
occasions when the class as a whole may want to use the campus wireless
network to look things up online. However, please refrain from checking
e-mail, online chatting, websurfing, game playing, etc. during class.
If you are observed doing so during class time, you will asked to no
longer bring your laptop to class. Additionally, cell phones should be
turned off prior to class.
Accommodations
Students requiring accommodation should contact the Office of
Disability & Learning Services (Baxter Hall, Phone: 503-370-6471,
TTY: 503-375-5383) for consultation and to make the necessary
arrangements.
Written and Oral Assignments
In addition to the final draft of the research paper, students will be
asked to submit a prospectus, a preliminary draft , and a peer editing
draft of the essay. Students will also be required to make an oral
presentation of their paper to the rest of the class.
Grading
Incompletes will only be given under exceptional circumstances such as
serious illness. You may appeal any of your grades during office hours
only after you have handed in a typed, reasoned memorandum detailing the specific reasons why you think the grade you received is not justified.
Late writing assignments will be assessed a one-third grade penalty per
day (e.g., a B+ paper handed in a day late receives a B). Early submissions of assignments are gladly accepted.
The final grade will be determined as follows: Prospectus 15%; first draft 25%; Oral presentation 10%; Final draft 50%.
Attendance Policy
According to CLA policy, students participating in approved university
activities (e.g., varsity athletics, Debate Team, theater and other
performing arts, Model UN, etc.) are excused from class provided proper
notification has been made by the relevant office supervising the
event. Additionally, the CLA faculty have adopted a policy whereby
students are permitted to be absent from class to observe religious
holidays that do not fall on days in which classes are otherwise not in
session.
Beyond the above, students in this course are permitted to be absent
from class a maximum of 10% of class sessions (which this semester is
four class days) due to illness, injury, or other emergency (e.g.,
death of a family member, flooded dorm room or apartment, hostile
roommate interaction, etc.). Notice of a missed class due to illness,
injury, or emergency must be made by 5:00 pm on the day that class is
missed. Additional absences for students with a contagious disease as
documented by a medical professional will be permitted. Students with a
prolonged illness should consider petitioning the university for a
Medical Incomplete or Medical Withdrawal for some or all of their
courses.
Students who exceed the allotted un-excused absences must submit a 750
word essay analyzing the topic of each additional missed class session
(students should contact the instructor for specific instructions).
Essays are due within 48 hours of a missed class. Failure to turn in
these essays will result in a one-third reduction in the course grade
for each essay not submitted.
Required Readings
Because the main project for this course is an extended research paper,
the one assigned text for this course is an overview of European
politics. Students should purchase the following text:
Colin Hay and Anand Menon (eds.), European Politics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.
The detailed contents of individual chapters of the book will not be
discussed in class, however, assigned readings from the book in the
course schedule below will correspond to topics covered in classroom
discussions. Therefore, in order to profit fully from classroom
discussions and, more importantly, prepare themselves for their
research papers, students should read the material assigned for a
particular week as these readings will provide essential background
material for student research paper topics.
In addition, the chapters in Part One of European Politics
(i.e., the country-specific chapters), as well as policy chapters not
otherwise assigned below, provide useful background material for
students writing their research papers on one or more European country
or policy area. Students should consult these chapters, as well as
other scholarly texts on the subject matters of their research papers,
as necessary.
Optional Readings
In addition to the required text (above) and research materials student
will accumulate in the course of writing their papers, students might
find one or more of the following writing and style manuals useful in
preparing their theses. These books can be purchased from any online
book retailer (e.g., Powell’s, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.).
The purpose of these books is to provide guidance to students regarding
the standards, mechanics, and goals of writing in the social sciences
in general, and politics in specific. Purchase of any of these books is
optional.
Lisa A. Baglione, Writing a Research Paper in Political Science (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2006). ISBN: 0495092622.
Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995). ISBN: 0-226-06584-7.
Jon Furberg and Richard Hopkins, College Style Sheet (Point Roberts, WA: Bendall Books, 1993). ISBN: 0-9696985-0-X.
Jose L. Galvan, Writing Literature Reviews (Third Edition) (Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing, 2006). ISBN: 1-884585-66-3.
Diana Hacker, Rules for Writers (Third Edition) (Boston: Bedford Books, 1996). ISBN: 0-312-11966-6.
M. Ling Pan, Preparing Literature Reviews (Second Edition) (Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing, 2004). ISBN: 1-884585-56-6.
Gregory M. Scott and Stephen M. Garrison, The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual, (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995). ISBN: 0-13-060634-0.
Thinking and Writing: A Guide for College Students (Brandywine Press, 1997). ISBN: 1-881-089-41-X.
Course Schedule and Weekly Reading Assignments
Note: The topics covered in the
preliminary weeks of the semester are designed to familiarize students
with the basic elements of European politics and policy to give
students a basis to conduct research on their term papers (and to
facilitate conversation among students on each others’ papers).
Some of the material below will be familiar to students who have taken
one or both of POLI 214 (International Politics) and POLI 216 (Politics
of Advanced Industrial Societies) or similar courses at other
institutions. The prerequisites for the course do not require that
students have previously taken both POLI 214 and 216, so in cases where
students are encountering this information for the first time, some
extra effort may be needed to acquire all the necessary background
information to initiate work on their research papers.
January 17–21: Introduction and Discussion of the Research Paper Project
Discussion of the types of questions asked in analytical research,
theoretical frameworks, and the connections between theory and
research. Students should think of the types of questions they would
like to pursue in their research paper projects.
January 24–28: Overview of the Structures, Institutions, and Practices of European Politics
European Politics: Chapters 12–15, 17
January 31–February 4: History and Institutions of European Integration
European Politics: Chapters 10–11, 21
FEBRUARY 7: PROSPECTUS DUE
February 7–11: Policy Issues and European Integration
European Politics: Chapters 16, 18–20
February 14–18: European Foreign Relations
European Politics: Chapters 22–23
February 21–25: Theories of European Integration
No readings.
February 28–March 4: Some Theoretical and Methodological Considerations of Research Paper Writing
No readings.
MONDAY, MARCH 7: FIRST DRAFT DUE
March 7–11: Reflections on Writing the First Draft
No readings.
March 14–18: Strategies for Revising the First Draft
No readings.
March 21–25: Spring Break
No classes.
March 28–April 1: Preparing for Peer Editing
No readings.
MONDAY, APRIL 4: PEER-EDITING DRAFT DUE
April 4–8: Peer Editing
Read and respond to peer papers.
April 11–May 2: Student Oral Presentations
Oral presentations.
MAY 2: FINAL DRAFT OF PAPER DUE (including abstract)