COMPARATIVE POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: EUROPE AND THE US

Academic year 2000/2001

Course' syllabus

Prof. Sergio Fabbrini (Università degli Studi di Trento)

First Session (October 30, 2000) - Introduction to Political Institutions

Readings:

-          Rothstein B., Political Institutions: An Overview, in R.E. Goodin and H.-D. Kingeman, eds, A New Handbook of Political Science, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1996, pp. 133-166.

-          Peters B., Political Institutions, Old and New, in R.E. Goodin and H.-D. Klingeman, eds, A new Handbook of Political Science, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1996, pp. 205-220.

-          Weaver R.K. and B. Rockman, When an How Do Institutions Matter?, in Ibidem, eds, Do Instutions Matter? Government Capabilities in the United States and Abroad, Washington D.C., The Brookings Institution, 1993, pp. 445-461.

Second Session (October 31, 2000) -  Neo-Institutionalism and Political Science

Readings:

-          Hall P. and R.C.R. Taylor, Political Science and the Three New Institutionalisms, in "Political Studies", 1995.

-          Thelen K. and S. Steinmo, Historical Institutionalism in Comparative Perspective, in S. Steinmo, K. Thelen and F. Longstreeth, eds, Structuring Politics. Historical Institutionalism in Comparative Analysis, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1992, pp. 1-32.

-          Shapiro M., Of Interests and Values: The New Politics and the New Political Science, in M.K. Landy and M.A. levin, eds, The New Politics pf Public Policy, Baltimore, The John Hopkins University Press, 1995, pp. 3-20.

Third Session (November 13, 2000) - Institutions and Democratic Constitutions: US and Europe

Readings:

-          Fabbrini S., American Democracy from a European Perspective, in "Annual Review of Political Science", 2, 1999, pp. 465-491.

-          Blondel J. Constitutions, in Ibidem, Comparative Government: An Introduction, Ch. 13, New York, Prentice-Hall, 1995, 2^nd edition, 215-227.

-          Elazar D.J., Constitution-Making: The Pre-eminently Political Act, in K.G. Banting and R. Simeon, eds, Redisigning the State. The Politics of Constitutional Change in Industrial nations, Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1985, pp. 232-248.

Fourth Session (November 14, 2000) - Systems of Government: Fusion vs Separation of Powers

Readings:

-          Blondel J., National Executives, in Ibidem, Comparative Government etc, Ch.16, 1995.

-          Fabbrini S., Between Parliamentarism and Presidentialism. A Comparative Perspective on Governmental System, in "Journal of Behavioral and Social Sciences", n.2, 1995, pp. 109-129.

-          Lijphart A., Introduction, in Ibidem, ed., Parliamentary Versus Presidential Government, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1992, pp. 1-27.

-          Shugart M.S. and  J. Carey, Basic Choices in Democratic Regime Types, in Ibidem, Presidents and Assemblies. Constitutional Design and Electoral Dynamics, Ch.3, New York, Cambridge University Press, 1992.

Fifth Session (December 4, 2000) - Separation of Powers: The Presidential System

Readings:

-          Fabbrini S., The American System of Separated Government: An Historical-Institutional Interpretation, in "International Political Science Review", v.20, n.1, 1999, pp. 95-116.

-          Mezey M.L., Congress Within the US Presidential System, in J.A. Thurber, ed, Divided Democracy and Conflict Between the President and Congress, Washington D.C., 1991, pp. 9-37.

-          Wilson J.Q., Does the Separation of Powers Still Work?, in "Th e Public Interest", n. 86, 1987, pp. 36-52.

Sixth Session (December 5, 2000) - Fusion of Powers: Semi-Presidentialism and Parliamentarism

Readings.

-          Fabbrini S., Presidents, Parliaments and Good Government, in "Journal of Democracy", 6, n. 3, 1995, pp.128-138.

-          Suleiman E.N. Presidentialism and Political Stability in France, in J.J. Linz and A. Valenzuela, eds, The Failure of Presidential Democracy. Comparative Perspective, vol. 1, Bakltimore, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994, pp. 137-162.

-          Duverger M, A New Political System Model: Semi-Presidential Government, in "European Journal of Political Research", 8, n.2, 1980, pp.142-149.

Seventh Session (January 15, 2001) - From the Government to the State: US and Europe

Readings.

-          Blondel J., Centralization and Decentralization, in Ibidem, Comparative Government etc., Ch.14, 1995.

-          Daalder H., Paths Toward State Formation in Europe: Democratization, Breaucratization, and participation, in H.E. Chechabi and A. Stepan, eds, Politics, Society and Democracy. Comparative Studies, Boulder, Westview Press, 1995, pp. 113-130.

-          Elazar D.J., Territorial Democracy and the Metropolitan Frontier, in Ibidem, The American Mosaic, Ch. 9, Boulder, Westview Press, 1994.

-          Sbragia A., Thinking About the European Future: The uses of Comparison, in A. Sbragia, ed, Euro-Politics. Institutions and Policy-Making in the "New" European Community, Washington D.C., The Brookings Institution, 1991, pp. 257-291.

-          Tilly C, State and Counterrevolution in France, in F. Fehér, ed., The French Revolution and the Birth of Modernity, Berkeley, University of California Press, 1990, pp. 49-68.

Eighth Session (January 16, 2001) - Government, State and Sovereignty: US and Europe

Readings:

-          Pierson P., Increasing Returns, Path Dependence, and the Study of Politics, in "American Political Science Review", 94, n. 2, 2000, pp. 251-267.

-          Fabbrini S., Transatlantic Encounters. The Transformation of Territorial Sovereignty in Europe and the United States, mimeo, 2000.

-          Fabbrini S., The State: The Western Experience, in IPSA, The State of the Discipline in Political Science, forthcoming.

-          Coultrap J., From Parliamentarism to Pluralism: Models of Democracy and the European Union's Deficit, in Journal of Theoretical Politics", 11, n.1, 1999, pp. 107-135.