KASSIM Hussein - Member States and the EU: Politics, Policy and Administration in a Multi-Level System (25h)
Professor: Hussein KASSIM
Academic Assistants: Sara AREZES
Although member states are the building blocks of the EU and their influence is intensely debated, the meaning of EU membership and the multiple aspects of EU-member state interaction are rarely approached systematically.
The aim of this course is to enable students to develop an advanced understanding and overview of the inter-relationship between the EU and the member states. It explores why European states committed themselves to the EU or its predecessor organizations, how participation fits with their conception of nationhood, and how they view membership. It investigates member states as actors in the EU system, and the EU’s domestic impact, and it considers the differences (historical, institutional, political, policy) between member states and their significance.
The course, which draws mainly from political science, but includes elements of public policy and public administration, is targeted at students interested in debates about the influence of member states in the EU, and the significance and consequences of EU membership. Adopting a theoretically reflective, but empirically informed approach that incorporates diverse perspectives, the course will encourage students to develop a detailed analytic and understanding of member state-EU interaction, the ability to critically assess the theories, models and concepts applied in the study of EU member states, and advanced knowledge of the EU as a multilevel system.