The European Union has a population of about 448 million and is composed of 27 member States. Starting modestly with the management of coal and steel in 1951, it now covers areas as varied as a Union citizenship, foreign policy, fisheries, culture, human rights or tourism. It has the world’s largest single market.
The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the fundamental principles of the legal order of the European Union, its sources, institutions, enforcement mechanisms and relations with domestic legal orders. The course will also look at some core areas of Union policies and legal regulation, such as the free movement of goods.
Prerequisites: a background in politics/ international relations/ history / economics / business.
The European Union started in 1951 as an attempt to prevent a new World War in Europe. No other region has displayed similar willingness to give up important parts of national sovereignty in pursuit of a stronger global competitive positioning.
The European Union keeps pressuring the integration-process at a pace which is too fast for some and too slow for others. This integration has a direct impact on the daily lives of all citizens in Europe. The accession of the new Central and Eastern European Member-States poses new challenges for the EU. The East-West labour migration, which is driven by wage differentials creates both opportunities and problems. The free movement of people, and the current refugee crisis, has strained social welfare systems in some of the richer Member-States. Political pressures and the credibility of the EU integration system question the present forms of integration. Pressure such as Brexit, the Eurozone crisis and the related high-unemployment figures make national sovereignty more attractive for some voters.
The course offers a comprehensive coverage of the key political and economic policy areas of the European Union with analysis of the different approaches to regional integration throughout the history of the European Union. The course analyses the historical, political and economic bases for the rise of the European Union from its origins in the post-World War II recovery, to its historic enlargement in 2004 and 2007. Most of the present tensions inside the EU directly relate to the economic integration process and reflect on all other fields of European integration.
Further attention is paid to the protection of human rights within the European integration process. A comparison between the European and UN-framework for the protection of human rights will be made and practically applied to specific cases.
The course will give students an in-depth look at the European legal, economic and political landscape. The course contains academic classes around these themes, as well as field trips to a number of relevant institutions.
This intensive course includes two course related field trips to Brussels and The Hague.
This course will examine the development of health policy in the United States and the distinctive structure of the US healthcare system. It will review the creation, implementation, and challenges facing major healthcare programs including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Veterans Healthcare, and the Affordable Care Act. The course will explore many challenges facing the U.S. healthcare system including rising costs, uninsured and underinsured Americans, and health disparities. The second half of the course will examine contemporary health policy issues and trends including maternal mortality, reproductive rights, trans healthcare, the right to die, the teen mental health crisis, the use of AI in healthcare, the healthcare workforce shortage, and the opioid crisis.
The course will engage three lenses when considering all issues: 1. a personal perspective, considering how the issues affect ourselves, those we love, and our communities; 2. A civic health lens, considering how individuals and groups can become informed and involved to affect health policy change, and 3. An intersectional lens to explore health policy and politics from the perspective of historically marginalized identities including race, ethnicity, gender, gender orientation, sexual orientation, class, and ability status.
The relationship between the United States and China will shape the 21st century,” says President Obama (July 27, 2009). This very important and dynamic relationship will be the focus of the course. Students will learn the historical legacies that link the United States and China, their intercultural communications, their mutual images and stereotypes, and how these perceptions shape their relations today.
This course explores the policy process in relation to federal institutions and individuals who work within these institutions. Students will examine the policymaking institutions and structures which guide the United States in areas such as health and environmental federal public policy. The course will seek to help explain the intricacy of policymaking and examine the role federal institutions play in framing dialogue within the policy process. One goal is to gain an understanding of how policies affect the culture surrounding health and the environment.
This course examines how public policies affect communities at various levels. Additionally, the course will help students see how they, as individuals, connect to various communities and how to help to shape these communities through an understanding of and appreciation for, public policies.
This course presents the specific structural and phenomenological aspects of the various types of mafia operating in Italy and internationally. Topics analyze contemporary criminal, social, cultural, and political features of mafia-related groups and explore traditional and emerging illegal markets. The course describes main Italian and international law policies and legislations to contrast this type of organized crime and the experiences of leading individuals and groups developing a culture of legality to combat the mafia.
This course discusses the origins and development of the Mafia in the context of Italian politics, economics, and society from the nineteenth century to the present day. It analyzes the nature of Mafia activities and their international relevance. Special focus will be given to judicial procedures against the Mafia and the experiences of key individuals and groups contrasting their illegal activities.
This module explores contemporary issues and debates that shape world politics today. It starts by introducing International Relations (IR) theory before turning to two broad themes that dominate IR: conflict and peace. We will apply these themes to a case study of the Northern Ireland conflict exploring the key political developments and the transition to a post conflict settlement. This module will also include a workshop that examines the use of wall murals to articulate conflict/post-conflict identity in Northern Ireland.
Excursion(s): This module includes a day trip to St Andrews, where we’ll undertake a tour of Scotland’s Secret Bunker – an underground compound built to safeguard Scotland during the Cold War.
