USESEA045 Local Democracy in Central Europe

Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Summer 2015
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. JUDr. Igor Palúš, CSc. (lecturer)
Mgr. Lukáš Vomlela, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. JUDr. Igor Palúš, CSc.
Institute of Central European Studies – Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Prerequisites
Expert Knowledge:
Students are able to explain the nature of democracy as the principle of modern constitutionalism with particular focus on the states in Central Europe. The demonstrate the knowledge of the content of local democracy in its representative and direct form in Central European states. They are able to analyse the structure and functioning of the institutions of representative democracy - the bodies of local administration, as well as the forms of direct democracy in Central European space, especially the local (or communal) referendum, the assemblies of local citizens, local standard-setting initiative and proposing the candidates for public authorities through citizen petitioning.
Expert Skills:
Students will acquire the ability to independently orient themselves in the basic legistlative regulations that anchor the local institutes of democracy in the states of Central Europe. They are able to synthesize the elements of local democracy that are common for all the observed states, and are also able to point out their specific features and place them into the system with respect to their potential employment in their own country.
General Competency:
Students will acquire knowledge that will enable them to explain the position of local democracy in the rule of law; they are able to analyze and to argumentatively give reasons for constitutional anchoring and organizational securing of local democracy in Central European states, and to utilize this knowledge in practice, especially in the proces of international cooperation in the sphere of public administration, in the process of preparing common projects, as well as in the cooperation of Euroregions generally and in the cooperation of local administrations separately.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the subject is to familiarize students with the nature of local democracy as a part of the principle of modern constitutionalism, its constitutional foundation and its practical operation. Students will gradually gain the knowledge of the representative form of local democracy that is implemented through voted representatives of local administration (municipal mayors, local authority deputies). At the same time, the content of the subject will enable students to understand the implementation of direct forms of local democracy, particularly local referendum, local people´s initiative, the assemblies of local citizens, etc. The content of lectures focuses on the characteristics of common features of local democracy in individual states, but at the same time aims to point out and give reasons for specific elements of local democracy, which are determined by historical, political and constitutional development of individual countries.
Syllabus
  • 1. Democracy as a principle of modern constitutionalism ( its expression in the constitutions of Central European states.
    2. Local democracy: general characteristics, forms of implementation.
    3. Local democracy as part of the European Union regional politics.
    4. Representative form of local democracy in the Czech Republic.
    5. Representative form of local democracy in the Slovak Republic.
    6. Representative form of local democracy in Poland.
    7. Representative form of local democracy in Hungary.
    8. Representative form of local democracy in the Federal Republic of Germany.
    9. Representative form of local democracy in Austria.
    10. Direct forms of local democracy in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.
    11. Direct forms of local democracy in Poland and Hungary.
    12. Direct forms of local democracy in the Federal Republic of Germany and in Austria.
Literature
    required literature
  • ČMEJREK, J., BUBENÍČEK, V. a ČOPÍK, J. Demokracie v lokálním politickém prostoru: [specifika politického života v obcích ČR]. Praha: Grada, 2010. ISBN 978-80-247-3061-5. info
  • BALÍK, S. Komunální politika: obce, aktéři a cíle místní politiky. Praha: Grada, 2009. ISBN 978-80-247-2908-4. info
  • VERHULST, J., NIJEBOER, A. Priama demokracia - fakty a argumenty k zavedeniu občianskej iniciatívy a referenda. Brusel: Democracy International, 2007. URL info
  • KOUDELKA, Z. Samospráva. Praha: Linde, 2007. ISBN 978-80-7201-665-5. info
    recommended literature
  • ŠPOK, R., ŘIHÁČKOVÁ, V., WEISS, T., BARTOVIC, V. a DROMARD, J. Místní referenda v České republice a ve. Praha: Institut pro evropskou politiku Europeum, 2006. ISBN 80-86993-01-9. info
  • PALÚŠ, I. Miestna správa vo vybraných štátoch Európskej únie. Košice: UPJŠ, 2005. ISBN 8070974885. info
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
Teacher's information
Every student will complete a written assignment on a selected topic that will be a part of his or her overall evaluation at the exam.
The course is also listed under the following terms Summer 2014, Winter 2015, Winter 2016, Winter 2017, Winter 2018.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Summer 2015, recent)
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