The European Union: Order and Tension

Catalog description

The course considers the European Union as an experiment in how to manage politics between states. We will consider both how and why the institutions of the EU function (or not) as they do – the specific histories, intentions, and compromises that led to the EU’s current makeup; and the tension between its legal and bureaucratic structure, and the sometimes messy realities of national and international events. We will explore how and why the EU remains subject to national politics and economic priorities – examining, amongst other issues, the challenges that the financial crisis and its aftermath, Europe’s relationships with its near-neighbors, and the resurgence of political populism (including Brexit) present to the EU’s future. This course will develop policy-making and analytical skills, and also deepen participants’ understanding of political risk in ways that are applicable to corporate and financial decision-making.