Important Note: This course was formerly HSEU 340.

Course Description
Europe is at the forefront of international regional integration: no other group of nation-states has proceeded further in pooling sovereignty. The process of transforming Europe from a continent of often fractious nation-states into an integrated political system of shared laws and institutions has been unfolding since the end of World War II. This course examines European integration as an essentially contested political process, which continues to divide and inspire nations, political parties, and citizens alike. The course offers a comprehensive survey of three notable aspects of European Union (EU) integration: its institutions and policy-making; controversies about what the EU does and should do; and the democratic nature of the EU system.

Course Objectives
The aim of the course is to analyze the EU as an international organization and as a political system. By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Understand the process of European integration
• Display knowledge of European political institutions and issues
• Assess the successes and the failures of the EU
• Develop critical  thinking

Course Materials
Michelle Cini and Nieves Pérez-Solórzano Borragán (eds), European Union Politics, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2016.