Germany in Europe: The Europeanization of German politics

Transcription

1 Timm Beichelt Germany in Europe: The Europeanization of German politics MA Seminar, Winter Semester 2008/09 Session: The Germans view on Europe

2 Seminar schedule Accession test Intermediary institutions I: Interest Groups Introduction, planning Intermediary institutions II: political parties No session 8.1. Political institutions I: Government Culture I: Germany s long road to the West Theory I: The European Policy Cycle Theory II: Dimensions of Europeanization Culture II: The Germans view on the nation Culture III: The Germans view on Europe Political institutions II: Parliamentiarism and Bundestag Political institutions III: Federalism and Bundesrat Excursion to Berlin (Foreign Ministry, Bundestag) 5.2. Europeanization and Democracy Presentation of term paper projects

3 Student presentations Accession test Intermediary institutions I: group interaction Introduction, planning Intermediary institutions II: Erin Schafranek No session 8.1. Political institutions I: Timm Beichelt Culture I: Germany s long road to the West Theory I: The European Policy Cycle Theory II: Dimensions of Europeanization Political institutions II: group discussion Political institutions III: Nathan Droesch Excursion to Berlin (Foreign Ministry, Bundestag) Culture II: group discussion 5.2. Europeanization and Democracy: Frances Hill Culture III: Tiago Brandt Presentation of term paper projects

4 Thought Paper topics Culture II: The Germans view on the nation Thought Paper Topic IV: The film Der Baader-Meinhof-Komplex what does it tell us about contemporary conceptions of the German nation? Culture III: The Germans view on Europe Thought Paper Topic V: Critically examine the official positions of German political parties concerning Europe what do they tell us about the German parties views on the EU and European integration? Intermediary institutions II: political parties Thought Paper Topic VI: Party opposition to the Lisbon Treaty comes from the Radical Left as well as the Radical Right. Discuss the coincidence that critique of European integration is articulated only on the extreme edges of the German party system Political institutions I: government Thought Paper Topic VII: In the political system of the EU, the Council acts as a major legislative body. As a result, many laws are in fact both designed and decided by the executive. Discuss the normative implications of this development Political institutions II: Parliamentarism and Bundestag Thought Paper Topic VIII: National parliaments are said to have lost much institutional weight during the course Europeanization. Discuss the hypothesis with a special focus on the character of decision-making in European politics.

5 Structure of the Session I. General Introduction II. Student presentation III. Discussion a. Classical political culture approach Europeanization of German culture? b. Symbolistic political culture approach when do we know that a culture is Europeanized?

6 Section I: General introduction

7 Central notions Culture: patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that lend such activities significance Political culture I: values, beliefs, and attitudes of citizens toward political institutions, events, and activities Political culture II: structure(s) and meaning(s) of symbols that are politically relevant

8 Central models of reference Americanization Westernization Europeanization

9 Starting point I: national image (Elections 1949)

10 Starting point I: national image (Grundgesetz, ) Bildarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz

11 Starting Point II: Images of the West (K. Adenauer, 1949) Bildarchiv Bundestag

12 Starting Point II: Images of the West (Elections 1957)

13 Starting Point III: Images of the East (Elections 1953) Bildarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz

14 Starting Point III: Images of the East (Berlin uprising 1953) Bildarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz

15 Starting Point III: Images of the East (W. Brandt in Warsaw, 1970) Bildarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz

16 Section II: Student presentation

17 Section III: Discussion a. Classical political culture approach Europeanization of German culture? b. Symbolistic political culture approach when do we know that a culture is Europeanized?

18 IIIa. Diffuse und specific Support of EU membership in Germany

19 IIIa. European and German Identity

20 IIIb. Symbols in change Area/community of belonging? Democracy? Contestation of Europe?