FVP:USESEC128 Political systems of the Centr - Course Information

USESEC128 Political systems of the Central and Eastern Europe

Extent and Intensity

1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

Mgr. Lukáš Vomlela, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Lukáš Vomlela, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)

Guaranteed by

Mgr. Lukáš Vomlela, Ph.D.
Institute of Central European Studies – Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Contact Person: Mgr. Lubomír Hlavienka, Ph.D.

Prerequisites

FAKULTA ( FVP ) && TYP_STUDIA ( B ) && FORMA ( P )
Expert Knowledge:
Students are able to characterize the development of political systems of selected countries in Central and Eastern Europe from the chronological and content point of view, to describe and explain their main specific features such as the character of political players, of governments, the roles of interest groups, the level of political culture and the state of development of civil society.
Expert Skills:
Students are able independently to apply the theories of political systems on stated systems; to critically evaluate expert literature on this topic; to identify and assess key variables in a political system development as well as current political events.
General Competency:
Students are able independently to analyze political systems and to apply appropriate theories on them. They are able to critically analyze a given topic, determine its main aspects and to find and use adequate expert literature.

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

• Central European Studies (programme FVP, B6702-MTS)

Course objectives

The aim of the subject is to familiarize students with the development and contemporary condition of political systems of selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In the introduction, students will be presented with theoretical aspects of democratic transition and consolidation of political systems with the emphasis on key variables in the proces of transition of non-democratic regimes in the space of Central and Eastern Europe, and on the process of determining the causes of success and failure of these processes. The main part of the course aims to define and evaluate the main specific features of political systems in selected countries and their comparison. This concerns mainly the development and structure of key political players, the way of formation and stability of government coalitions, the character of governments with respect to their politics and policy, the influence of external factors on the development of given political systems and the position of interest groups. The issue of the civil society development will be also assessed, including its formal and informal involvement in political systems of particular states, as the last stage of democratic consolidation of a political system. The aim of the seminars is, with active involvement of students, to research in detail selected aspects of political systems and to analyze significant and up-to-date political events that affect their form and functionality.

Syllabus

• 1. The problems of transition and consolidation of political systems with the emphasis on specific features in the region of Central and Eastern Europe.
  2. Political system of Slovakia.
  3. Political system of Hungaria.
  4. Political system of Poland.
  5. Political system of Slovenia.
  6. Political system of Lithuania.
  7. Political system of Latvia.
  8. Political system of Estonia.
  9. Political system of Russia.
  10. Political system of Belarus.
  11. Political system of the Ukraine.
  12. The perspectives of development of political systems in Central and Eastern Europe.
  

Literature

required literature
• CABADA, Ladislav a kol. Komparace politických systémů III. Nové demokracie střední a východní Evropy. Praha: VŠE, 2008. info
• HLOUŠEK, V. a KOPEČEK, L. Konfliktní demokracie: moderní masová politika ve střední Evropě. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, Mezinárodní politol, 2004. ISBN 80-210-3449-1. info
• KUBÁT, M. a kol. Politické a ústavní systémy zemí středovýchodní Evropy. Praha: Eurolex Bohemia, 2004. info
• FIALA, P., HOLZER, J., STRMISKA, M. a kol. Politické strany ve střední a východní Evropě. Ideově-politický profil, pozice a role politických stran v postkomunistických zemích. Brno: MPÚ MU, 2002. info

recommended literature
• BALÍK, Stanislav - HOLZER, Jan. Postkomunistické nedemokratické režimy. Brno: CDK, 2007. info
• ŠEDO, Jakub. Volební systémy postkomunistických zemí. Brno: CDK, 2007. info
• KUBÁT, M. Demokracie v Polsku: politický systém Polské republiky (1989-2005). Praha: Slon, 2005. ISBN 80-86429-46-6. info
• LEBEDA, Tomáš - NOVÁK, Miroslav. Volební a stranické systémy ČR v mezinárodním srovnání. Dobrá Voda u Pelhřimova: Aleš Čeněk, 2004. info
• KUBÁT, M. Postkomunismus a demokracie. Politika ve středovýchodní Evropě. Praha: Dokořán, 2003. info
• FIALA, P. a kol. Středoevropské systémy politických stran: Česká republika, Maďarsko, Polsko a Slovensko. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, Mezinárodní politol, 2003. ISBN 80-210-3091-7. info
• HOLZER, J. Politický systém Ruska: hledání státu. Brno: Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury, 2001. ISBN 80-85959-97-6. info
• LEWIS, P. G. Political Parties in Post-Communist Eastern Europe. New York: Routledge, 2000. info
• DVOŘÁKOVÁ, Vladimíra (ed.). Success or failure?Ten years after. Praha, Česká společnost pro politické vědy, 1999. info
• LINZ, J. J. a STEPAN, A. Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation. Southern Europe, South America, and Post-Communist Europe. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1996. 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

Exam requirements: seminar paper, in-seminar presentation, oral exam

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