POSC 321 - Comparative Politics of Europe and the European Union

Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-4
The governments, politics, and policies of European countries and the European Union. Covers colonialism, history of the EU, parliaments and electoral systems, prime ministers and presidents, political parties and elections, and political culture. Future of the European Union.

Breadth Area(s) Satisfied: GE-UD-4 - Upper Division Social and Behavioral Sciences
Prerequisites: Completion of GE Areas 1A, 1B, 1C and GE-2 with grade C- (CR) or better (GE Areas A1, A2, A3 and B4 for students on the 2024-25 or earlier catalogs).
Strongly Recommended Preparation: Upper division status (greater than 60 earned semester units) and completion of lower division GE Area 4 requirements (Area D1-2 requirements for students on the 2024-25 or earlier catalogs).
Possible Instructional Methods: On-ground.
Grading: A-F or CR/NC (student choice).
Course Typically Offered: Fall ONLY

Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Recall and understand socio-political structures, power dynamics, and the history of politics and policy-making the region
Summarize, discuss, and analyze major current events facing European countries individually and as a collective EU
Demonstrate how political structures, institutions, and culture explain current political events
Make well-substantiated and educated predictions about the future politics in Europe

GE-UD-4. Upper-division Social and Behavioral Sciences Learning Outcomes

analyze how power and social identity affect social outcomes for different cultural and economic groups using methods of social science inquiry and vocabulary appropriate to those methods;
demonstrate an understanding of and ability to apply accurately disciplinary concepts of the social or behavioral sciences; and
demonstrate an understanding of and ability to effectively plan or conduct research using an appropriate method of the social or behavioral sciences.