UVSRPVK113 Local Politics

Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Winter 2015
Extent and Intensity
0/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Pavel Hamza (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Radomír Sztwiertnia
Institute of Public Administration and Social Policy – Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
The aim of the tutorial is to explain the substance of political processes and their participants on the level of regions, towns and municipalities in the Czech republic. The teaching is concentrated especially on the analysis and comparison of activities of political parties, movements and independent civil associations and individuals in municipal, town and regional authorities, on specifics of functioning political parties in local and regional self-administrations and on principles of action of political subjects in the frame of communal politics. The attention will be paid to various forms and possibilities of participation of citizens of communities in solving the problems in various areas of life (e. g. public discussion about development plans of municipalities and towns, location of great investment units in connection to solving the issues of unemployment or new forms of co-existence of various ethnics etc.)The creation of candidate, preparations and course of local and regional elections as well as influence of political parties and pressure groups on form and activity of local administration will be then the subject of wider comparison in international merit. In the frame of the seminar, the origin of political grouping according to valid legislation will be modelled. The seminar comprises also meeting the mayors, members of self-administrations on various levels, also the workers of partial secretariats.
Syllabus
  • 1. Politics, regional politics, local politics, classification of the term and its development
    2. Development of local politics in Czech lands. Local and regional self-administration in the 19th and the 20th century
    3. Political processes on local, regional and central level. Relation of the place and centre in the execution of local politics. Places and levels of execution of local politics
    4. Subjects of local politics, specifics, principles and peculiarities of their functioning on local or regional level. Political parties, political movements, independent candidates
    5. Creation of political opinion, assertion of political proposal. Ideology versus professionalism. Civil activities. Influence of informal groups. Relation of media and local politics or politicians
    6. Citizens as subject and object of local politics, participation in political life of the municipality. Civil activities and civil associations
    7. Election campaign on local level, their preparation, course of elections, practical steps and processes
    8. Selection of candidates and formation of candidate lists
    9. Cooperation of political groupments and formation of local coalition, practical activity of local or regional government. Organs of self-administration: authorities, committees, president of self-government, city mayor, mayor, councillor and representatives, committees and commissions
    10. Comparison of fundamental parameters of Czech self-administration to self-administrations in European countries
    11. Question marks and exclamation marks of local politics
    12. Practical execution of local politics. Common day of communal politician
Literature
    required literature
  • Hudák, J., Jüptner., P., Svoboda, J. (Eds.). Komunální politické systémy. Praha: FF UK, 2003. info
  • Balík, S. (ed.). Komunální volby v České republice v roce 2002. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2003. info
  • Fiala, P., Schubert, K. Moderní analýza politiky. Úvod do teorií a metod policy analysis. Brno: Barrister&Principal, 2000. info
  • Chandler, J.A. (ed.). Místní správa v liberálních demokraciích. Brno: Doplněk, 1998. info
  • BROKL, L. A KOL. Reprezentace zájmů v politickém systému České republiky. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství, 1997. ISBN 80-85850-48-6. info
Teaching methods
Interactive lecture
Lecture supplemented with a discussion
Assessment methods
Oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: Přednáška 6 HOD/SEM.
Teacher's information
The seminar is terminated by the pre-exam credit, the condition of its acquisition will be the elaboration of seminar paper on assigned topic depicting the processes of local politics in concrete territory or institution.
The course is also listed under the following terms Winter 2009, Winter 2010, Winter 2011, Winter 2012, Winter 2013, Winter 2014.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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