USESEA044 Forms of Rules in Central European Countries

Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Summer 2017
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. JUDr. Igor Palúš, CSc. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Kateřina Tvrdá, 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, in a general manner, the content elements of the forms of government and, consequently, to apply them on the conditions of Central European states. They are able, with an adequate level of expertise, to analyze not only the structure and the process of forming the highest state institutions of legislative power, ie the parliaments, executive power, ie the heads of states and governments, and judicial power, ie the constitutional cours and general courts; but also their mutual relationships. In this context, they are able to point out mutual hindrances and counterweights which secure functioning of the above mentioned state institutions within the system of separation of powers.
Expert Skills:
Students will acquire the competence to orient themselves in the constitutional framework that anchors the individual elements of the form of government in Central European states. They are able to assess the acquired knowledge with regards to common characteristics of functioning of all three powers in the selected states, but at the same time, they are able to define the particularities and differences and to give reasons for their existence. They are able to point out their interconnection and the influence of applying public power on the central level with the functioning and real securing of democracy in local conditions.
General Competency:
Executing state power through state institutions of legislative, executive and judicial power according to the principle of the separation of powers is the basis of pluralistic democracy in the rule of law and the guarantee of freedom of individuals. In accordance with this, the knowledge and argumentative justification of the mechanism of the separation of powers in the states of Central Europe is a part of basic expert equipment of students acquiring the education within the Central European Studies programme.
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 structure of the highest state institutions in the countries of Central Europe, the process of their formation and their mutual relationships (the form of government). On this basis, students will gradually gain the knowledge of functions of the highest state institutions of legislative power, ie the parliaments; of executive power, ie the heads of state and governments; and judicial power, ie the highest courts, the constitutional courts. They will gain general knowledge of what the countries in Central Europe have in common regarding the application of the principle of separation of powers; and what are the differences and particularities of individual states in this respect. As part of the course, there will also be the analysis of the relation between the highest state institutions of the countries in Central Europe within the European Union from the point of view of their mutual interconnection and effective functioning. On the completion of the course, students will have gained the knowledge which will enables them to argumentatively explain how the forms of government function in Central European states, and they will be able to point out the differences and particularities in individual countries in the extent necessary for their future career.
Syllabus
  • 1. The form of government - general characteristics (the system of the highest state institutions, the proces of their formation and the relationships between them).
    2. The principle of the separation of powers (triple-power separations) and its expression in the constitutions of Central European states.
    3. The Parliament (legislative power) in the Czech Republic and in the Slovak Republic.
    4. The Parliament in Poland and Hungary.
    5. The Parliament in the Federal Republic of Germany and in Austria
    6. The heads of states (executive power) in the Czech Republic, Poland, FRG
    7. The heads of states in Hungary, Austria, Slovakia
    8. The governments (executive power) in the Czech Republic, Poland, FRG
    9. The governments in Hungary, Austria, Slovakia
    10. Judicial power in the Czech Republic, Poland, FRG
    11. Judicial power in Hungary, Austria, Slovakia
    12. The highest state organs in Central European states within the European Union
    The seminars put emphasis on deepening the knowledge of the forms of governments in Central European countries. There will be a presentation of general phenomena affecting the variances, similarities and differences of particular political systems in Central European countries. During the term, students will create a presentation on a selected topic. Besides regular reading assignments, students will be expected to take active part in seminar discussions.
Literature
    required literature
  • BLAHOŽ, J., BALAŠ, V. a KLÍMA, K. Srovnávací ústavní právo. 4., přeprac. a dopl. vyd. Praha: Wolters Kluwer Česká republika, 2011. ISBN 978-80-7357-629-5. info
  • OROSZ, L. a JIRÁSKOVÁ, V. Ústavné právo porovnávacie: Základy ústavného práva Českej republiky, Maďarskej republiky a Poľskej republiky. Košice: UPJŠ v Košiciach, 2007. ISBN 9788070976906. info
  • PALÚŠ, I. Štátne právo porovnávacie. Košice: UPJŠ v Košiciach, 2002. ISBN 8070974834. info
    recommended literature
  • KLOKOČKA, V. Ústavní systémy evropských států: (srovnávací studie). 2., aktualiz. a dopl. vyd. Praha: Linde, 2006. ISBN 80-7201-606-7. info
  • BLAHOŽ, J. a kol. Ústavní právo Evropské unie. Dobrá Voda: Aleš Čeněk, 2003. ISBN 80-86473-48-1. 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
Each student will complete a written assignment on the selected topic which will be a part of his or her overall evaluation at the exam.
The course is also listed under the following terms Winter 2013, Winter 2014, Summer 2016, Summer 2018, Summer 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Summer 2017, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.slu.cz/course/fvp/summer2017/USESEA044