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European Political Economy and Public Policy (SPS-RESCHE-PO-24)

SPS-RESCHE-PO-24

Purpose

This course has two premises. First, European Political Economy is both Comparative and International Political Economy, i.e. it draws on insights from both and, in turn, combines them in ways that are also enlightening for CPE and IPE. Its affinity to CPE goes beyond the worthwhile study of how different member states shape and respond to market integration in the EU. European integration entails polity-formation, the evolution of a second-order political system that complements the first-order polity of member states. Its affinity with IPE stems from the fact that European integration is a process that affects jurisdictions and institutions beyond the EU. Besides, EU organisations are actors in the international system, for instance climate change negotiations and international financial regulation.

Second, public policy is core to the study of political economy. In Jon Elster’s words, policies embody “the concern with substantive decisions” that lend “urgency to political debates” (Elster 1986 The market and the forum: three varieties of political theory, p.128). The contestation over the merits of different policies structure the democratic process and policies largely determine “who gets what, when and how” as Lasswell’s definition of politics has it.
The sessions each week revolve around a socio-economic policy domain but with a view to how political economy concepts and theories can inform the analysis of policies. Wherever possible, the readings try to introduce key contributions in the context of contemporary debates.

Learning outcomes: The course introduces participants to advanced debates in political economy and public policy, as they apply to the European context. Participants will learn substantively about policy domains that are most affected by the European integration process that reaches beyond the EU, e.g. through regulatory standard setting and aligned policy agendas in international fora. And they will be introduced to key debates on the forces that shape European polities, in a forward-looking manner that can inform research. Register for this course