Sam Nunn School of International Affairs

GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Sam Nunn School of International Affairs

German Politics - INTA 8803 Fall 2016

Eliza Markley, PhD

Class Meetings: MWF 11.05 – 11.55 am, Instructional Center 117

Office Hours: M, W 12.00-12.45, Habersham 141

Phone: 404-894-7173

E-mail: [email protected]

Course Description Why German Politics? This course was established due to Germany’s unique historical, cultural, political, economic, and social experiences. First, in less than one century, Germany had had two republics, one empire, one fascist dictatorship, one period of foreign military occupation, and a communist dictatorship. Second, the current political institutions and organizations of Germany are a by-product of international politics, such as the Cold War standoff between East and West, Gorbachev’s reform policies, or foreign decisions made in Washington, Moscow, London, or Brussels. Third, Germany’s economy, one of the most powerful in the world today, effectively combines the capitalist freedom with social protection, creating the so-called “social market economy.” Finally, Germany is the strongest member of the European Union and one of the most important countries in the international political system. For all these reasons, the German case offers students “a laboratory” in which to study political and social change, economic innovation, and cultural adaptation. This course will cover historical developments that led to the developments of two German republics – Federal and Democrat – and will analyze their regimes, with their respective political, social and economic structures. The course also looks at post World War II changes and their impact on political attitudes, culture, and participation. A significant part of the class will be allotted to discussing the role of political parties and interest groups, electoral politics, and policy-making institutions. Finally, we will examine Germany’s foreign and European politics and ongoing challenges confronting the Federal Republic.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:  Demonstrate the ability to describe the social, political, and economic forces that influence social behavior in Germany.

1  Be able to describe the basic structure of German government.  Develop an awareness of the political process as a result of cultural, historical, and social factors in Germany.  Be able to describe the role of diverse interests and groups in shaping the history, politics, society, or institutions of Germany.  Demonstrate an understanding of the relationships between Germany, other countries and international organizations.

Required Textbooks

The German Polity. Tenth edition. 2013. David Conradt and Eric Langenbacher. Rowman and Littlefield. (*GP in the Syllabus)

Developments in German Politics 4. 2014. Stephen Padgett, William E Paterson, and Reimut Zohlnofer (Editors). Palgrave Macmillan. (*DGP in the Syllabus)

Additional required readings will be posted on T-square.

Course Requirements

1. Class Participation – 10% of course grade Students will be expected to attend all classes, complete all assigned readings (before class), and participate in classroom discussions on the subjects addressed in the readings and lectures. Lectures during the course may not cover the readings entirely and will often present new ideas and information. You are responsible for the information contained in the reading, whether it is covered or not in lectures, as well as for the information in the lectures.

Participation grade is based on active and constructive contribution to class discussions, as well as on attendance.

2. Analysis Essay and Class Discussion Lead – 35% Each student will select one of the 11 weekly themes open to discussion lead (all except Week 1, 8, and 9). This will be “your week.” Given the size of the class, more than one student may choose one week/theme – in this case students should coordinate their work to make sure they will not duplicate their efforts. Your assignments for “your week” are: a. Write a 2,500-word essay on a topic of your choice, but closely related to your week’s theme. Integrate at least six other readings – different from the assigned sources. Your essay should describe and critically examine the claims made in the selected readings, provide a comparative analysis of the arguments and evidence presented, and propose take-aways for sparking classroom discussion. This essay will be due on Friday of your week. The essay counts for 25% of your grade. b. Prepare a 30-minute presentation to brief the class on your analysis. Facilitate a 20-minute classroom discussion by posing at least five discussion questions.

2 Discussion lead counts for 10% of your grade.

3. Simulation Research Paper – 10% This is a group assignment in preparation of the Third Annual International Diplomacy Simulation that will be organized at Georgia Tech on Saturday, Oct 22, 2016. Each group (2-3 students) is expected to write a 7-8-page paper examining the position on issues of nuclear nonproliferation and arms control of a country that will be assigned to them. The country’s position needs to be researched in relation to its historical position and any domestic and international constraints on that country. Furthermore, students are expected to decide on their country’s negotiation position, consider barriers to their country’s treaty aims, think about the terms they are willing to accept, intend to use, and would deem unacceptable. The Simulation Research Paper is due October 21. Participation in Oct 22 Simulation is mandatory.

4. Final Paper – 45% Course members will be required to complete a written paper of approximately 25- 30 pages on a current German policy topic of their choice. Topics chosen must be approved by the professor. Papers must be done in essay format and are due no later than December 10.

Grading and Assessment

A = 89.5-100; B = 79.5-89.4; C = 69.5-79.4; D = 59.5-69.5; F = below 59.5

o Participation 10% o Essay 25% o Discussion lead 10% o Simulation Research Paper 10% o Final Paper 45%

Other Class Policies

 Class discussions may lead, from time to time, to contentious political issues. I expect all students to be respectful of one another, even if they disagree about certain issues. High levels of civility should characterize our class debates.  Laptop computers can be used in class ONLY when the instructor allows. Abusing computer privileges will result in loss of participation points. Moreover, students may be prohibited from using their computer for the rest of the semester (no email, Facebook, twitter, etc)  Cell phone should be turned off or put on silent. Disruptions from such devices will adversely affect your participation grade.  For assignments that will be submitted through T-square, students need to ensure that assignments can be opened and are readable. To ensure this, students should

3 attach all written assignments in either .doc or .pdf formats.  The instructor will make any effort to return your graded assignments in a timely manner (usually within two weeks).  The instructor will respond to all emails (sent M-F) within 48 hours. If you do not receive a response in 48 hours, I probably did not receive your message, and you should resend it.

Additional Information and Services

1. The Office of Disability Services – [email protected] (404-894-0285)

2. Academic Honor Code The Georgia Tech Academic Honor Code states: “Students are expected to act according to the highest ethical standards. The immediate objective of an Academic Honor Code is to prevent any Students from gaining an unfair advantage over other Students through academic misconduct. Academic misconduct is any act that does or could improperly distort Student grades or other Student academic records.” Such acts include, for instance, plagiarism.

Plagiarism means using an author’s exact or paraphrased words without citation or acknowledging the source of information. Whether intentional or not, plagiarism is considered cheating and will not be tolerated. If you are unsure whether something should be cited, please ask.

Course Outline and Reading Assignments

Week Date Topics and Readings Exams Week 1 Monday Introduction Aug 22 Syllabus Aug 24, 26 The Historical Context  Chapter 1 GP

Week 2 Aug 29, 31, Eastern Germany before and after Reunification Sep 2  Chapter 2 GP

Sep 5 Labor Day

Week 3 Sep 7, 9 The Social and Economic Settings  Chapter 3 GP

Week 4 Sep 12, 14, Political Culture, Participation and Civil Liberties 16  Chapter 4 GP

Week 5 Sep 19, 21, The Party System and the Representation of Interests 23  Chapter 5 GP  Chapter 4 DGP

4 Week 6 Sep 26, 28, Elections and Voting Behavior 30  Chapter 6 GP  Chapter 3 DGP

Week 7 Oct 3, 5, 7 Policy Making Institutions I  Chapter 7 GP  Chapter 5 DGP

Oct 10 Student Recess Week 8 Oct 12, 14 The Return of German Power: The Federal Republic’s No Foreign and European Policy discussion  Chapter 10 GP lead  Chapter 11 DGP Week 9 Oct 17, 19, Germany and the European Union Simulation No 21  Chapter 9 DGP Research discussion Paper due lead Preparation for the Oct 22 Simulation Friday Oct 21 Saturday Third Annual International Diplomacy Simulation Oct 22 10am–3pm Week 10 Oct 24, 26, No classes due to Oct 22 Simulation 28 Week 11 Oct 31, Policy Making Institutions II Nov 2, 4  Chapters 8 GP  Chapter 12 DGP Week 12 Nov 7, 9, Subnational Units: Federalism and Local Government 11  Chapter 9 GP  Chapter 1 DGP  Chapter 2 DGP

Week 13 Nov 14, 16, The Politics and Social Protest 18  Chapter 6 DGP Nov 21 Nov 23, 25 Thanksgiving

Week 14 Nov 28, 30, The German Model in Transition. Economic Policy Dec 2  Chapter 7 DGP  Chapter 8 DGP  Chapter 10 DGP Dec 5 Review Dec 10 Final Paper due NOTE: COURSE OUTLINE IS TENTATIVE AND MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE