PSC 215: European Political Systems

Course Objectives

The goal of this course is to establish a basic understanding of European government, business, and economic systems, and to lay a foundation for future study in the field. This is not a current events course. Instead we will spend the majority of our time focused on relevant themes and concepts—not specific countries. After successful completion of this course you should have a clearer understanding of European political systems and, by association, of the American political system.

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Required Text

Gallagher, Laver, and Mair, Representative Government in Modern Europe, 4th edition (2005)

The text can be purchased from the Higher Grounds bookstore at the Friday Center in person, online, or by printing and mailing the book order form. 

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Essential Web Sites

You should check the information on these two Web sites often during the course:

• Politics and Governments Around the World
• World Fact Book, CIA.

Other interesting Web sites

• Datavine: Harvard CID-World Bank DataMart
• Eurobarometer
• Europa: The European Union Online
• Index to Comparative and Foreign Governments

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Course Structure and Grading

This course is comprised of four modules that are designed around four themes: the comparative method, political institutions, political parties, and elections. The first module is an introduction to the course and covers one chapter from the textbook. Each of the remaining three modules covers several chapters from the textbook and deals with several issues related to the theme. You should plan to spend several weeks completing each module.

When you begin a module, first complete the reading assignment. Then read the objectives and overview I've provided for you. Re-read the text to make sure you can perform the objectives. Then complete the Q & A assignment. Finally, complete the paper assignment for that module: an initial orientation paper in Module 1 and reaction papers in Modules 2, 3, and 4. You should use only your textbook as a source of information when writing your papers.

Submitting assignments

Your papers should be typed using Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect. If you use other software, please save your work in Rich Text Format (as an .rtf file). Use a filename that includes your last name, such as "module3-Smith.doc."

Use the "Submit Assignment" button to submit your assignment. Submit buttons are located in the gray navigation bar at the top of each lesson page and also in each written assignment section. This button opens an e-mail message that is pre-addressed to me and Student Services. It is important to use both addresses because the assignment must be sent to both me and Student Services in order for you to get credit for your work. Note! If you use an e-mail service (such as hotmail.com or yahoo.com), the "Submit Assignment " buttons may not work for you. If this is the case, you will need to send a regular e-mail message that is addressed to both me (michelsen@wcu.edu) and Student Services (stuserv@unc.edu).

Send your assignments as attachments. In the subject line of the e-mail message, enter "SPC PSC 215, the submission number, and your last name (example: SPC PSC 215 submission 3 Jones ). Providing the submission number and your name allows me and Student Services to give you proper credit for your work and keep your work separate from that of other students.

Exams

You will also be required to take a midterm and final exam. Both exams will consist of short-answer and essay sections.

Midterm: After you complete Module 2 and are ready to take the midterm exam, e-mail me and I will e-mail your exam to you.

Final: After you have successfully completed Module 4, you will need to schedule a supervised final exam (see instructions). The final exam will cover only the material from Modules 3 and 4. You must pass the final exam in order to pass the course.

Grading

The total number of points on your examinations and papers will determine your final grade. The value for each will be as follows:

The scale for passing grades is as follows:

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Academic Integrity

Western Carolina University's Academic Honesty Policy provides several definitions for issues of academic integrity. The predicate for these definitions is that academic dishonesty is a serious offense in universities because it undermines the bonds of trust and honesty between members of the community and defrauds those who may eventually depend upon our knowledge and integrity. Such dishonesty consists of:

• cheating: intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise
• fabrication: intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise
• facilitating academic dishonesty: intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to violate any provision of this Code
• plagiarism: intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one's own in any academic exercise.

Violations of academic integrity will be punished to the fullest extent the university allows. This includes giving the student an "F" in the class and reporting the student to his or her Office of Student Affairs, Dean's office, and the Friday Center for further punishment. If you have any questions about what constitutes an academic integrity violation, please ask me.

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Course Mechanics

Using e-mail in this course

Notify me and Janice Durham at the Friday Center if your e-mail address changes.

If you use a filter on your e-mail account, you are responsible for ensuring that it does not prevent you from receiving messages from me or Friday Center staff.

Saving your work: It is extremely important for you to save copies of any work you send to me via e-mail. If I don't receive your work, you must have a copy of the e-mail with the attached file, indicating the date sent, to prove that you submitted the assignment. It is your responsibility to maintain copies of your sent e-mails, as there is no way to guarantee that any e-mail message will be delivered.

Please check your e-mail software to see how it manages sent and saved messages. Some software automatically deletes messages one month after they have been sent; others only save messages if they are filed in folders; others save messages received but not those sent. You may need to send yourself a copy of your e-mailed assignment at the same time you send it to me, or you may need to print a copy of the e-mail message and any attachments to keep in your paper files. No matter how your system works, make sure you know how to save a copy of all work that you submit to me and that you save the copy for several months beyond the end of the course.

Other Questions

Contact me with questions regarding the content of the course and your progress. (There is a link to my e-mail at the top of every lesson page.) Please include “SPC PSC 215” in the subject line of your e-mail.

Contact the Instructional Designer at the Friday Center about problems with this Web site, including bad links.

If you have any logistical questions as you work through the course (enrollment, credits, extensions, withdrawal, and so on), contact the Student Services staff at the Friday Center for Continuing Education (phone 919-962-1134 or 800-862-5669).

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Course Modules

Each module covers a large amount of content, so you should plan to spend several weeks completing each module.

I would like to know something about you so that I can associate your e-mail messages with something more than just a screen name. Therefore, your first task is to send me a Personal Information Sheet: Save this Word Document to your hard drive (or copy and paste it from this Web page into your word processing program), fill it out, and attach it to an e-mail to me. This also gives us a chance to make sure our communication lines are working.

Then begin with Module 1.

Module 1