Prof. Dr. Christiane Lemke
UNC-Chapel Hill
Fall Term 2014
lemke@email.unc.edu
TAM-Course POLI 733
Mo, Wed, Fri 9:30 -11:30
GEC, 4th floor
Office hours by appointment
European Integration: Theories, Institutions and Decision-Making Processes
This seminar will introduce you to key concepts and developments of European
integration. We will begin with major concepts and theories of integration, then explore the
institutions and policies of the EU, and discuss recent developments such as the European
Parliament elections and their impact further integration. Questions to be addressed in the
seminar include: Why do states transfer sovereignty to the European level? What is the role of
EU-institutions? How do citizens view the EU and what is their influence on the politics and
policies on the EU level? Given the current rise of Euroscepticism we will also address the
problem of the euro crisis and its lessons. Another question we will address is EU-enlargement.
Will the EU admit new countries, such as Turkey or Serbia, and how will US-European relations
evolve in the future?
The seminar will be taught as a compact seminar. The format of the class includes
lectures, student presentations, and seminar discussions. Be prepared to actively participate in
class.
All readings listed on the syllabus are required readings unless marked as optional
readings; these texts should be used additionally for your papers. The chapters and articles as
well as other class materials can be found online. Please check the website for this seminar
regularly as I will post newspaper articles and alike on the site.
Required Books:
 Desmond Dinan, Ever Closer Union. An Introduction to European Integration, 4th
edition, Boulder/London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2010 (this is a comprehensive
overview of the history and politics of the EU)
 John McCormick, Why Europe Matters. The Case for the European Union, Palgrave
Macmillan 2013 (we will read most of this book so you want to purchase this volume)
Required Articles (available on the course website) – see bibliography
 http://cems.as.nyu.edu/page/publications
Journals, newspapers and Internet sites
For the event of the week you may use “The Financial Times”, “The New York Times”, “The
Economist” or other foreign journals online.
The following journals will be useful for your papers:
Journal of European Public Policy
Journal of Common Market Studies
European Union Politics
West European Politics
For general information about the EU you should use the homepage of the EU
http://www.europa.eu.int
Course Requirements
Writing: You will write two short papers (5-6 pages), and one final paper (15-20 pages). In the
short papers you should critically reflect on the assigned readings, for example a certain theme or
argument, or answer a specific question that emerged for you in the course of the reading. The
first short paper will be on the concepts and theories of European integration based on your
readings; please choose one set of theories or a particular concept or question you wish to explore
(no “overview” of all theories!). The second short paper should focus on one of the EUinstitutions and critically address its role within the EU and in regard to citizens’ participation.
The final paper is a formal research paper on a topic of your choice exploring contemporary
European developments. Please submit your papers in printed form unless otherwise noted.
Due dates: First paper September 8
Second paper September 22
Final paper: October 15
Presentations: Everyone should actively participate in class, present findings from the readings
and ask questions. To hone your public speaking skills you will be asked to prepare a short 3-5
minute presentation about a current event in European politics, based on newspaper articles
followed by a brief discussion (one-page hand-out). At the end of the semester everyone will
prepare a 10-minute presentation about your research topic.
The short papers count for 20% each and the final paper for 40% of the grade; the remaining 20%
is class participation including the event of the week.
Course Schedule
Session 1 Aug 20, 22 Wed, Fri, 9:30-11:30
Understanding European Integration: The Transfer of State Sovereignty and Its Limits
Topics: The meaning of “Europe” and the construction of the EU; how can we conceptualize
integration? Why do states transfer sovereignty? What is the role of the “German question”?
Readings: Crepaz/Steiner (2011), The European Union, in: European Democracies, chap.14
Dinan (2010), Ever Closer Union, chap.1 (Reconstruction etc.)
Lemke et. al (2013), Germany in Europe, selected chapters (Lemke; Nolan; Welsh)
McCormick (2013), Why Europe Matters, pp. 1- 29
THE EVOLUTION OF THE EU AND THEORIES OF INTEGRATION
Session 2 Aug 25, 27, 29 Mon, Wed, Fri, 9:30-11:30
Concepts and Theories of Integration I
Theories to be considered include: federalism, neo-functionalism, liberal
intergovernmentalism, multi-level governance, social constructivism
Topics: History of the EU; the federal idea of Europe - Monnet and Spinelli; neofunctionalism; the role of states and inter-state bargaining; the construction of the new Europe
after the fall of the Wall; the Maastricht Treaty 1993
Readings: Dinan, Ever Closer Union, chap. 2 (29-36), 4 (73-133)
McCormick (2013), Why Europe Matters, pp. 30-46
Burgess, Federalism, in: Wiener/Diez (2009), European Integration, pp. 25-44
Niemann and Schmitter, Neofunctionalism, in Wiener/Diez, pp. 45-66;
Moravscik and Schimmelfennig, Liberal Intergovernmentalism, in: Wiener/Diez
Session 3 Sept. 3, 5 (Monday is Labor Day)
History and Theories of Integration II
Topics: From Maastricht to the Lisbon Treaty (2009); Deepening and Widening of the EU;
Multilevel governance; Constitutionalization; Is there a European identity? Is there still a
difference between Europe East and Europe West?
Readings: Hooghe and Marks, Multilevel Governance, chap. 1
Risse, Social Constructivism, in: Wiener/Diez, pp. 144-160
McCormick (2013), Why Europe Matters, pp. 47-104
Hill and Smith (2011), International Relations and the EU, chap. 2
INSTITUTIONS, INSTITUTIONAL REFORM AND THE EU-POLITY
Session 4 Sept. 8, 10, 12
Institutions of the EU: Is There a Democratic Deficit?
Topics: What is the role of EU-institutions? The quest for legitimacy, representation, and
democracy; Euro-scepticism and anti-EU parties; the 2014 EP elections
Readings: Dinan, Ever Closer Union, chap. 6, 7 and 8 (Commission, Council) chaps. 9 and 10
(European Parliament)
Lemke et. al. 2013, Germany in Europe, chaps. by Landfried and Wendler
McCormick, Why Europe Matters, pp. 105-125
Website of the EU: http://europa.eu/institutions/index_en.htm
Optional Readings: Moravcsik (2006) What can we learn from the Collapse of the European
Constitutional Project?
Habermas (2001), Why Europe Needs a Constitution
Session 5 Sept. 15, 17, (19)
Economic Governance and the Eurozone Crisis
Topics: Varieties of capitalism, crisis and transitions after the euro crisis; “executive
federalism”; more integration or disintegration? Differences between southern and northern
Europe; where to go from here?
Readings: Hall (2011), Interview
Lemke (2014), Challenging the ‘Ever Closer Union’
McCormick, Why Europe Matters, pp. 47-66
Moravscik (2012). Europe after the Crisis. How to Sustain a Common Currency,
Streeck (2013), Interview
POLICIES OF THE EU
Session 6 Sept. 22, 24, 26
Europeanization and Policies of the EU: Immigration, Human Rights
Topics: The impact of the EU on nation states; Europeanization and regulation; modes of
governance and policy-making; why does the EU have no immigration policy? Human rights
Readings: Dinan, Ever closer Union, chap. 12-15, chap. 16 and 17 (enlargement; external
security; immigration)
McCormick, Why Europe Matters, pp. 27-182
Session 7 Sept. 29, Oct 1, 3
EU-Enlargement: East Central Europe and Beyond
Topics: Association to Accession: East Central Europe and Balkan region; linkage and
leverage theory and ENP; norm diffusion and democratization; problems of “hybrid regimes”
Readings: Hill and Smith (2011). International Relations and the EU, chap. 13
Lemke et.al. (2013), Germany in Europe (chap. by Gross)
Lewitsky and Way (2010). Competitive Authoritarianism.(selected chap.)
Schimmelfennig (2001). The Community Trap.
Session 8 Oct 6, 8, 10
External relations of the EU: Is the EU a civilian power?
Topics: Common foreign and security policy ; the concept of the civilian power ; USEuropean relations ; Europe’s global role
Readings : Börzel and Risse (2009), Venus Approaching Mars? The European Union as an
Emerging Civilian World Power
Hill and Smith (2011), International Relations and the European Union,
chaps. 18 , 19
Session 9 Oct 13, 15
Concluding Workshop: Europe and the US
(with student presentations)
Prof. Dr. Christiane Lemke
European Integration. Literature
Börzel, Tanja A./Thomas Risse (2009). Venus Approaching Mars? The European Union as
an Emerging Civilian World Power. Berlin Working Papers on European Integration No.11
Crepaz, Markus M. L. and Jürg Steiner (2011). European Democracies, 7th edition, New
York: Paerson and Longman
Dinan, Desmond (2010). Ever Closer Union. An Introduction to European Integration, 4th
edition, Boulder/London: Lynne Rienner Publishers
Gawrich, Andrea et. al. (2010). Neighbourhood Europeanization. Journal of Common Market
Studies. Volume 48. Number 5. pp. 1209–1235
Habermas, Jürgen (2001). Why Europe Needs a Constitution, New Left Review, 11,
(http://newleftreview.org.A2343) The European Crisis
Hall, Peter A (2011). Understanding the Economic Crisis. The Current Moment: Interview
with Peter Hall, Le Monde Diplomatique, 6 December 2011,
(http://thecurrentmoment.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/interview-with-peter-hall/)
Hill, Christopher and Michael Smith (2011). International Relations and the European Union
(selected chapters)
Hooghe, Liesbet and Gary Marks (2001). Multi-Level Governance and European Integration,
Lanham et.al.: Rowman and Littlefield, chap. 1
Jacoby, Wade and Sophie Meunier (2010). Europe and the Management of Globalization,
Journal of European Public Policy, 17:3, pp. 299-317
Judt, Tony (2005). Postwar. A History of Europe Since 1945, New York: Penguin
Lemke, Christiane et.al. (2013). Germany in Europe: Powerhouse at the Crossroads, Center
for European Studies, Max Weber Chair Working Papers, New York University (online)
http://cems.as.nyu.edu/page/publications
Lemke, Christiane (2014). Challenging the ‘Ever Closer Union.’American Foreign Policy
Interests, No.1, pp. 18-24
Levitsky, Steven and Lucan A. Way (2010). Competitive Authoritarianism. Hybrid
Regimes After the Cold War, Cambridge University Press
McCormick, John (2013). Why Europe Matters. The Case for the European Union, New
York: Palgrave Mcmillan
McNamara, Kathleen (2010). Constructing Authority in the European Union, Deborah D.
Avant, Martha Finnemore and Susan K. Shell eds. Who Governs the Globe, Cambridge
University Press, pp. 153-182
Moravscik, Andrew (2006). What can we learn from the Collapse of the European
Constitutional Projekt, Politische Vierteljahresschrift 47, pp. 219-241
Moravscik, Andrew (2012). Europe after the Crisis. How to Sustain a Common Currency,
Foreign Affairs, May/June, pp. 54-68
Nolan, Mary (2012), The Transatlantic Century. Europe and America 1890-2010, Cambridge
University Press
Rosamond, Ben (2000). Theories of European Integration, New York: St. Martin´s Press
Saurugger, Sabine (2013). Theoretical Approaches to European Integration, The European
Union Series, London: Palgrave Macmillan
Schimmelfennig, Frank (2001). The Community Trap. Liberal Norms, Rhetorical Action and
the Eastern Enlargement of the European Union, International Organization 55, 1, pp. 47-80
Streeck, Wolfgang (2013), Interview in CurrentMoments, (online)
Wiener, Antje and Thomas Diez, eds. (2009). European Integration Theory, 2nd ed., Oxford
University Press (selected chap.)