The course is composed by two parts: (1) the analysis of some crises such as: sovereign debt, immigration, Brexit crisis, and the European response to those crises. (2) the analysis of theories, in particular neo-functionalism, intergovernmentalism, and social constructivism, followed by an evaluation of the explanatory power of each theory.
Karl W. DEUTSCH, The Analysis of International Relations. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs (1968). Ch. 11: Only the section on “variable-sum (mixed-motive) games”. pp. 117-122. Ch. 15: Integration: International and Supranational. pp. 158-168. Ch. 18: Attaining and Maintaining Integration. pp. 191-202. [core reading] [all students] [available in the social science library]
David KINSELLA, Bruce RUSSET, Harvey STARR, World Politics: The Menu for Choice. Wadsworth Publishing. 10th Edition, International Edition, 2013. Ch. 10: pp. 257-270. Ch. 11: pp. 289-292; pp. 292-302; pp. 302-312. Ch. 12: pp. 321-336; pp. 336-343. Ch. 14: pp. 393-404. [required only for students without a background in theories of interdependence, regime theory, and theory of cooperation] [if not available in the social science library, the professor will make a copy of the sections indicated above available to the class]
Carl DEGRYSE, The new European economic governance. Working Paper 2012/4.ETUI. European Trade Union Institute. Bruxelles. 2012 (pp.1-86) [core reading] [all students] [downloadable from the www]
Walter MATTLI, The Logic of Integration: Europe and Beyond, Cambridge UP, 1999.
Ch.1; Ch.3; Ch.4; Ch.5; Ch.6. [core reading] [all students] [a copy of the book will be made available in the social sciences library]
Additional Readings
Donald J. PUCHALA, Of Blind Men, Elephants and International Integration, Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol 10, No. 3. pp. 267-284 [basics. all students]
(the journal is available in the social sciences library)
David EASTON, A Systems Analysis of Political Life, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1965.
p.21; p.30; p.32.
[basics of Political Science - only for students who have not read it yet] [available in the social sciences library]
Kenneth WALTZ, from: Theory of International Politics. Ch. 6, section 2. Interdependence and integration, pp. 104-107. [basics of IR, for students who have not read it yet] [available in the social sciences library
Giorgio NATALICCHI, Alice in Wonderland, Rivista di Studi sullo Stato, Dossier Il Trattato di Lisbona. 19 Ottobre 2010 [not required for attending students] [a copy is available in Moodle]
- Robert AXELROD and Robert KEOHANE: Achieving Cooperation Under Anarchy, World Politics, Vol 38, No. 1, October 1985, pp. 226-254. [available in the social sciences library]
[Basic IR. Required for students without a background in theories of interdependence, regime theory, and theory of cooperation]
Joseph NYE, Comparative Regional Integration: Concept and Measurement, International Organization, Autumn, 1968, Vol. 22, No 4. (optional for attending students)
[the journal is available in the social sciences library)
Ernst HAAS, “International Integration:The European and the Universal Process, International Organization,Summer,1961, Vol15. No3. pp 366-392. (optional for attending students)
[the journal is available in the social sciences library)
Ernst HAAS and Philippe C. SCHMITTER, Economics and Differential Patterns of Political Integration: Projections about Unity in Latin America, International Organization, Autumn, 1964, Vol 18, No 4, pp. 705-737. (optional for attending students)
[the journal is available in the social sciences library)
International Organization, Special Issue on “Regional Integration: Theory and Research, International Organization, Vol XXIV, No.4 (Autumn 1970). Published also later in a volume, by the same title, edited by Leon Lindberg and Stuart Scheingold, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. 1971 (optional for attending students)
[the journal is available in the social sciences library)
Learning Objectives
Objective. The objective of Politics of European Integration (PEI) is to provide graduate students with solid tools to examine the difficult situation of European integration.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites. The RISE program foresees some entry requisites, but it does not foresee “formal” requisites for attending specific courses. However, it is obvious that students of the 2nd year (in which PEI is taught) are expected a good experience in the branches of Political Science (Theory, Comparative, International) as well as an acceptable background in History, Sociology, Economics, and Law.
Teaching Methods
Frontal. Lectures and debates, supported by projections and access to electronic resources.
Further information
Attendance. Most graduate programs, in Europe and abroad, require regular attendance of classes. Although the University of Florence allows students to take exams without attending classes, I expect students to attend at least one half of the classes. The RISE program does not allow overlaps between required courses (see note 1 below), therefore the one I expect, seems to me a very loose requirement (see notes 1, 2 and 3, below).
Note 1. Overlaps. If there are overlaps, please report it immediately to the Head of the RISE Program or the Secretariat of the School, who will provide to resolve the problem for you.
Note 2. Though often quite useful, I consider internships and language labs as any other course to be scheduled in proper periods and at proper times. Therefore if they overlap with PEI, it is not a sufficient reason for not attending required courses.
Note 3. Non attending students who still intend to take the final exam (some Italian schools, including Florence, allow this) should contact the professor who will assign them a list of readings which will be available by the end of September. The final oral exam will be based on those readings.
Type of Assessment
Performance Evaluation .
(a) Students Regularly Attending Classes
The grade will be based on a Final Oral Exam on the core readings (not all the readings) and the themes discussed in class. Regularly Attending Students will also have the option of presenting at the Exam a Research Paper followed by a brief discussion on its relevance with regard to the themes discussed in class (see Note 4 below).
Note 4. Students who choose the option of a Paper presentation should previously agree the theme of the paper with the professor. The Paper will follow the structure of the course: (1) a crisis or a main on-going problem affecting the process of integration; (2) one or two theories attempting to explain the integrative process (3) the application of a theory (theories) to the problem with a conclusion evaluating the explanatory capacity of the selected theory (theories). (4) the paper should contain bibliographic references to the sources used.
(b) Students NOT attending classes regularly.
The grade will be based on a Final Oral Exam on all the readings included in the syllabus.
Course program
Objective. The objective of Politics of European Integration (PEI) is to provide graduate students with solid tools to examine the difficult situation of European integration.
Summary. PEI is a required course in the 2nd year of the graduate program in International Relations and European Studies (RISE) of the “Cesare Alfieri” School of Political Sciences of the University of Florence. The course is aimed at students who intend to expand their knowledge of political integration & disintegration processes, in Europe and in general. PEI is an exercise in the application and verification of integration theories to particular cases - this year, for example, to the problems faced by the EU since Maastricht. Given such objectives, the course is composed by two parts: (1) the analysis of some crises such as: sovereign debt, immigration, Brexit crisis, and the European response to those crises. (2) the analysis of theories, in particular neo-functionalism, intergovernmentalism, and social constructivism, followed by an evaluation of the explanatory power of each theory.
Prerequisites. The RISE program foresees some entry requisites, but it does not foresee “formal” requisites for attending specific courses. However, it is obvious that students of the 2nd year (in which PEI is taught) are expected a good experience in the branches of Political Science (Theory, Comparative, International) as well as an acceptable background in History, Sociology, Economics, and Law.
Attendance. Most graduate programs, in Europe and abroad, require regular attendance of classes. Although the University of Florence allows students to take exams without attending classes, I expect students to attend at least one half of the classes. The RISE program does not allow overlaps between required courses (see note 1 below), therefore the one I expect, seems to me a very loose requirement (see notes 1, 2 and 3, below).
Note 1. Overlaps. If there are overlaps, please report it immediately to the Head of the RISE Program or the Secretariat of the School, who will provide to resolve the problem for you.
Note 2. Though often quite useful, I consider internships and language labs as any other course to be scheduled in proper periods and at proper times. Therefore if they overlap with PEI, it is not a sufficient reason for not attending required courses.
Note 3. Non attending students who still intend to take the final exam (some Italian schools, including Florence, allow this) should contact the professor who will assign them a list of readings which will be available by the end of September. The final oral exam will be based on those readings.
Performance Evaluation .
(a) Students Regularly Attending Classes
The grade will be based on a Final Oral Exam on the core readings (not all the readings) and the themes discussed in class. Regularly Attending Students will also have the option of presenting at the Exam a Research Paper followed by a brief discussion on its relevance with regard to the themes discussed in class (see Note 4 below).
Note 4. Students who choose the option of a Paper presentation should previously agree the theme of the paper with the professor. The Paper will follow the structure of the course: (1) a crisis or a main on-going problem affecting the process of integration; (2) one or two theories attempting to explain the integrative process (3) the application of a theory (theories) to the problem with a conclusion evaluating the explanatory capacity of the selected theory (theories). (4) the paper should contain bibliographic references to the sources used.
(b) Students NOT attending classes regularly.
The grade will be based on a Final Oral Exam on all the readings included in the syllabus.
A Reminder. Students enrolled in the RISE program should be aware that only 2nd year students can take exams offered in the 2nd year of the program.
Program
PART 1. Integration Theory Basics and Crises in the European Integration Process
Basic Concepts and Theoretical Approaches
Defining the phenomenon we intend to study: International Political Integration. The difficulty of theorizing on integration on the base of a single case (Europe) and often mixing up different phenomena (i.e. Integration Processes and EU Governance).
Readings:
- Donald J. PUCHALA, Of Blind Men, Elephants and International Integration, Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol 10, No. 3. pp. 267-284 [available in the social sciences library] [all students]
- Ben ROSAMOND, Theories of European Integration, Basingstoke, Palgrave MacMillan, 2000. (Ch 3. Neofunctionalism. pp.50-73; Ch 4. Intergovernmental Backlash. pp. 75-81; Ch 6. Intergovernmental Europe? pp. 130-147: Ch. 7. Constructivism. pp. 171-175.
[core reading] [all students] [available in the social sciences library]
Note 5: For students who are interested in a more extensive presentation of Constructivism, I suggest: Thomas RISSE, Social Constructivism, Ch. 8 of, Antje WIENER & Thomas DIEZ (eds.), European Integration Theories, Oxford UP, 2007 and 2010 editions. [available in the social sciences library]
Historic and Recent Crises
Note 6:. Most graduate students will already be familiar with the crises considered here. Therefore there are no special reading assignments. For the undergraduates, who may not be familiar with them, a class discussion should suffice. If requested, I will assign some basic readings
.
The 1965 EEC “Empty Chair” crisis. General DeGaulle, worried about the plan to allow majority voting in the Council, recalls his ministers to Paris. A short “political” crisis solved quickly with a decision to give in DeGaulle’s requests. The EEC will keep unanimity and veto as the primary decision making rule in the Council. It will take 20 years (until the 1987 SEA) before majority voting will be introduced in the Council.
The 1970s combined “global crises” crash onto Europe. Little and very expensive oil for Western European countries, as OPEC countries set an embargo or heavy penalties on those who supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War. Reduced industrial activity and loss of jobs and rampant inflation because of the high oil prices. The US devalues the US Dollar. The Solar System (Bretton Woods) based on a steady sun (the US $), begins to break up as the planets (the currencies of the others states) move in different directions. The EEC problem - how to keep common agricultural prices steady across different member states? And so on!
Post Maastricht Problematiques. A bulging Sovereign Debt, the Maastricht Convergence Requirements, and the Greek Saga. Expanding the Membership before Achieving Cohesion. Free Movement inside Europe with no common (European) external frontier. Two clear responses to Terrorism. First:” A Trouble Shared is a Trouble Halved”. Second: “Every Man for Himself and God for All”. The Human Component - From Leaders to Survivers. The real problematiques. The Alice-in-Wonderland Syndrome, that is, heads of government meeting but not aware of “where they intend to go”.
Readings:
- Giorgio NATALICCHI, Alice in Wonderland, Rivista di Studi sullo Stato, Dossier Il Trattato di Lisbona. 19 Ottobre 2010. [available in the Moodle Platform of UniFi] [not required for attending students]
- Carl DEGRYSE, The new European economic governance. Working Paper 2012/4.ETUI. European Trade Union Institute. Bruxelles. 2012 (pp.1-86). [core reading] [all students] [downloadable from the WWW].
PART 2. Europe: a “case” for the theorizing on international integration.
Classic Views of Regional Integration. A sample.
the Sociological View (e.g. Amitai ETZIONI);
the Economic View (e.g. Bela BALASSA);
the Functional View (e.g. Ernst HAAS and Philippe C SCHMITTER);
the Legal /Constitutional (e.g. Joseph WEILER and Alec STONE SMITH)
the Political View (e.g. Leon LINDBERG)
the Realist and the Quasi Realist View (e.g. Stanley HOFFMANN and Andrew MORAVCSIK).
[No additional readings. Use Rosamond (2000) and Wiener and Diez (2007 and 2010)
The Evolutionary Approach. Discussion on Integration and Disintegration and the Evolution of Socio-Political-Economic Aggregates.
[No reading assignment. Just class discussion].
The Systems Approach in Politics.
The national and the international Political Systems [David Easton and Kenneth Waltz]
Readings:
David EASTON, A Systems Analysis of Political Life, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1965.
p.21; p.30; and, p.32.
[Basics of Political Science. Only for students who have not read it yet] [available in the social sciences library]
Kenneth WALTZ, Theory of International Politics. Ch. 6, section 2. Interdependence and Integration, pp. 104-107.
[Basics of IR, for students who have not read it yet] [available in the social sciences library]
From Anarchy to Cooperation (and Back)
Readings:
- David KINSELLA, Bruce RUSSET and Harvey STARR, World Politics: The Menu for Choice. Wadsworth Publishing. 10th Edition, International Edition, 2013. Ch. 10: pp. 257-270. Ch. 11: pp. 289-292; pp. 292-302; pp. 302-312. Ch. 12: pp. 321-336; pp. 336-343. Ch. 14: pp. 393-404. [Basic of IR. Required for students without a background in theory of interdependence, regime theory, and theory of cooperation. If not available in the social science library one copy of the required sections will be placed in Prof. Natalicchi’s mail drawer on the 2nd Floor of Building D5 - Students will make a copy for themselves and return the original in the mail drawer for other students]
- Robert AXELROD and Robert KEOHANE: Achieving Cooperation Under Anarchy, World Politics, Vol 38, No. 1, October 1985, pp. 226-254. [available in the social sciences library]
[Basic of IR. Required for students without a background in theories of interdependence, regime theory, and theory of cooperation]
Security Communities and Integration
Readings:
Karl W. DEUTSCH, The Analysis of International Relations - The Analysis of International Relations. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs (1968). Selected sections: Ch. 11: Only the section on “variable-sum (mixed-motive) games”. pp. 117-122. Ch. 15: Integration: International and Supranational. pp. 158-168. Ch. 18: Attaining and Maintaining Integration. pp. 191-202.
[core reading] [all students] [available in the social science library]
The “Golden Days” of Regional Integration Studies
[suggested readings] [optional for all students]
Joseph NYE, Comparative Regional Integration: Concept and Measurement, International Organization, Autumn, 1968, Vol. 22, No 4.
Ernst HAAS, “International Integration:The European and the Universal Process, International Organization,Summer,1961, Vol15. No3. pp 366-392.
Ernst HAAS and Philippe C. SCHMITTER, Economics and Differential Patterns of Political Integration: Projections about Unity in Latin America, International Organization, Autumn, 1964, Vol 18, No 4, pp. 705-737.
International Organization, Special Issue on “Regional Integration: Theory and Research, International Organization, Vol XXIV, No.4 (Autumn 1970). Published also later in a volume, by the same title, edited by Leon Lindberg and Stuart Scheingold, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. 1971.
Comparative Regional Integration
Readings: Finn LAURSEN, Comparative Regional Integration: Europe and Beyond, Ashgate, 2010. [optional for all students].
Walter MATTLI, The Logic of Integration: Europe and Beyond, Cambridge UP, 1999.
Ch.1; Ch.3; Ch.4; Ch.5; Ch.6. [core reading] [all students] [will be made available in the social sciences library]