This course is an introduction to the study of the United States Congress. You will be introduced to a significant, but far from exhaustive, number of prominent works in the field of legislative studies. The readings in the course will introduce students to important theoretical approaches to the study of legislative politics and the application of such theories to the empirical studies of Congress. In particular, we will focus heavily upon works in the “new institutionalism” and rational choice schools. Some of the specific topics of inquiry we will study this term include institutional development and change in the US Congress; theoretical treatments of congressional organization and committees; the role of parties and party leadership in the legislative process, and the emergence and significance of ideological polarization in Congress. The literature on Congress and legislative politics is vast and continues to grow. The readings in this course are far from exhaustive, but serve as a somewhat representative sample of the important debates and methodologies in the subfield today. 

Email registration to timothy.nokken@uta.fi by 20 October 2014

This course provides an introduction and overview over the disciplines of political and critical discourse analysis. The course will focus on various scholars and their approaches to political discourse analysis as a tool to analyzing power relations. There is no set single approach, as the field is quite porous. The related works of scholars will be made available for the students for reading, analysis, and reflection during the course.

After the course, the students are expected to better understand the various approaches to political discourse analysis and are better equipped to utilize these theories in their forthcoming work. The students will be more adept at spotting discursive practices in political speech and the media and evaluate possible underlying modes of argumentation.

The language of the course is English, so students are expected to be reasonably proficient in reading and writing academic texts in this language.

Email registration to mikko.poutanen@uta.fi

The course can be taken as a part of the intermediate (aineopinnot) or advanced studies (syventävät opinnot). The intermediate studies completion is 5 credits, advanced studies 10 credits. Evaluation criteria includes active participation in the seminar, topical presentation in seminar, and essay (8–12 pages on one of the presented approaches).

For 10 credits the students will do a longer independent written work, as well as face more stringent grading.

For more details, contact the teacher responsible. Final course requirements will be given in the course syllabus.

Carey and Shugart (1995: 419) have noted how “the national celebrity enjoyed by movie stars or athletes can translate into valuable personal reputation in some electoral systems”. In the US the names of Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, in the UK Sebastian Coe and in Finland ‘Julma’ Juha Väätäinen or Juha Mieto come readily to mind. This course explores the phenomenon of ‘celebrity politics’. It distinguishes between the ‘celebrity candidate’, the ‘celebrity politician’ and the ‘celebrity advocate’ and considers inter alia the wider implications of celebrity politics for representative democracy. The theoretical contribution of the course is to place the ‘celebrity phenomenon’ at the junction of four broad research fields – the mediatisation of politics, the personalisation of politics, the individualisation of electioneering and work on partisan de-alignment. The overarching question is: ‘Does celebrity politics matter?’ (Street 2012) The original James Bond has endorsed Scottish independence!

Course Programme

October 28 Introduction to the world of celebrity politics. How the course came about

October 30 Exploring the celebrity density of politics. Defining celebrity types

November 4 Explaining the celebrity density of politics. Some interlocking theory

November 6 Estimating the value of the celebrity candidate. The Finnish case

November 11 Does celebrity politics matter? What are its implications for representative democracy?

November 13 No session (I shall be in Strasbourg)

November 18 Concluding discussion

Email registration to david.arter@uta.fi by October 20

Compensates RES18.

Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Module, University of Tampere

Stepping Stones to Working Life in the Field of EU-Russia Relations (STEPIN) is a bridge between the final stages of university studies at the Master’s level and the professional life. STEPIN consists of an intensive, one-week tailor-made training course on EU issues (EU-Russia relations in particular) with special relevance to the students orienting themselves in the working life. Focusing on skills and knowledge in a transversal sense, the training course provides the students with a concrete introduction to professional life in the academia, research institutes, administration, policy-making and the private sector, NGOs and civil society. It emphasizes learning by doing and active participation of the students, teaching staff and visitors, with the aim of increased familiarity with the expectations of potential employers, actual career paths and experiences, and deeper understanding of the relevance of the students’ expertise and skills and different ways of putting them to use.

The course will be organized for the first time on 9-13 March 2015. Both Master's level and post-graduate students can take part, particularly those writing their theses on topics related to the EU and/or Russia. The language of the course will be mainly English, with practical exercises conducted also in Finnish. During the week, the daily programme will run approximately from 10 am to 4 pm. Friday’s programme takes place in Helsinki.

Thematically, this years’ course concentrates on the EU sanctions towards Russia. A public seminar on this topic will start the week. As to the practical skills, special emphasis will be given to the interplay of media and research, and communication skills (exercises). Specificities of Russian media and questions about the EU in the media will also be looked at. A detailed programme will follow.

Completing the course requires written work both before and after the week’s programme, and will give 5 ECTS (e.g., as part of POLKVS32).
  

Programme

Monday 9 March

10-12 introduction to the course/Hanna Ojanen
Venue: lecture rm. A07, Main Building

14.00-16 Public seminar: EU Sanctions against Russia: lessons learned?
Venue: lecture rm. Pinni A3111 (Kanslerinrinne 1)

A year after the first decisions on EU sanctions against Russia, this seminar gathers experts from different backgrounds to discuss the effectiveness of sanctions, the economic and political considerations guiding decision-making in the EU on imposing them, the diversity of member state views, and the consequences of sanctions and countermeasures on businesses, economy, and the EU's unity.

What have we learned? And, in the light of these lessons, what can we say about the state and direction of EU-Russia relations today? What is the role of Finland in these relations?

The main speaker, Dr Clara Portela, is a leading scholar in the field of EU sanctions.

Speakers:
Clara Portela, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Singapore Management University (EU sanctions, theory and practice);
Aleksi Pursiainen, Team Leader, Sanctions Team, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland;
Marco Siddi, Senior Researcher, the European Union Research Programme, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA);
Tuomas Forsberg, Professor, University of Tampere;
Pami Aalto, Professor, University of Tampere (consequences for the Russian energy sector)

Tuesday 10 March
Venue: lecture rm. A07, Main Building

10-12 Research as career: opting for a PhD, doing research on the EU and Russia in different countries: approaches, environments, and career paths
– with Dr Clara Portela and Dr Marco Siddi

13-16 Exercise in research communication: how to write a ‘comment’?
– with Anna-Kaisa Hiltunen, Sub Editor, Finnish Journal of Foreign Affairs (UP) (includes preparatory work before the course; continues on Thursday)
 

Wednesday 11 March
Venue: lecture rm. A07, Main Building, and University TV studio

10-16 Researcher/expert and the media: TV interview exercises
– with Jussi Seppälä, Miltton, formerly YLE

Thursday 12 March
Venue: lecture rm. A07, Main Building

10-16 Feedback day: personal feedback and discussion on the TV interviews and on the written exercise (with Jussi Seppälä and Anna-Kaisa Hiltunen)
Possible thesis discussions with supervisors
 

Friday 13 March

10-16 Programme in Helsinki: Lecture by Minister Jaakko Iloniemi on the CSCE/OSCE then and now; getting to know NGOs working in the field (STETE, KATU); visit to the Aleksanteri Institute (meeting with Dr Hanna Smith)
Course feedback

The number of participants will be limited to 10-15. Those interested in taking part are invited to send a letter of motivation that also includes information about the topic and stage on the applicant’s Master’s thesis to Jean Monnet Professor Hanna Ojanen by e-mail (hanna.ojanen@uta.fi) by 20 February at the latest.

This course is centered around finding political scenarios and debates in fictive texts. Politics is an integral part of many fictive texts, and often used to reflect real world issues, debates, and political scenarios. Many seminal works of science fiction, for example, extrapolate political issues like forms of government, pacifism, militarism and ethnic cleansing into contexts where they can be addressed in ways less suited for traditional political science. Weekly reading material will be made available for the students for reading, analysis, and reflection during the course.  

After the course, the students are expected to better understand how politics can be presented in fiction, and how these fictional politics can be used to make sense of actual political events. The students will be more adept at spotting political scenarios and reconstructing them in various contexts.  

The language of the course is English, so students are expected to be reasonably proficient in reading and writing academic texts in this language. English degree programme students can join students of Political Science on the course for a richer mutual understanding of disciplines and the texts.

Email registration to mikko.poutanen@uta.fi

The course can be taken as a part of the intermediate (aineopinnot) or advanced studies (syventävät opinnot). The intermediate studies completion is 5 credits, advanced studies 10 credits. Evaluation criteria includes active participation in the seminar, topical presentation in seminar, and essay (8–12 pages on one of the presented approaches).

For 10 credits the students will do a longer independent written work, as well as face more stringent grading.

For more details, contact the teacher responsible. Final course requirements will be given in the course syllabus.

“Scotland is one of the world’s wealthiest nations, our GDP per head is higher than in the UK as a whole, it is higher than France, higher than Japan. We have contributed more in tax revenues per head of population than the rest of the United Kingdom for each and every one of the last thirty-three years. We have creative genius, we are a nation of innovators, we have a brilliant manufacturing industry, we have a world class food and drink industry, astonishing natural resources, huge potential in renewables and an oil and gas industry which will be producing many billions of barrels of oil for many decades to come.”

Speech in the Scottish Parliament on August 21 2014 by the leader of the Scottish National Party and Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond

This short course on Scottish Politics will be structured around four broad themes.

The Road to Independence

An analysis of the independence debate and the result of the September 18 2014 on the question – Do you want Scotland to be an independent country?

Scotland in the United Kingdom

Scottish representation in Westminster. From the 1979 referendum on devolution to the 1997 referendum on devolution. Mrs Thatcher; the poll tax and the road to the Scottish Parliament. The Consultative Steering Group’s principles and the notion of ‘new politics’

The Scottish Political System

The German-style electoral system; the Scottish party system; the Scottish parliament and government at work

Scotland as a small democracy

Scotland and Scandinavia; Scotland and the Nordic model; the welfare system, education and health. The Gaelic language; tourism; the Loch Ness monster; and the deep-fried Mars Bar

LECTURE SCHEDULE

January 15  Scotland: A Nordic Nation?

January 16  Who do the Scots think they are?

January 22  The Rise of Scottish Nationalism

January 23 How the Scottish National Party ‘conquered’ Scotland

January 29 What are the Lessons of the September 18 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum?

January 30 The ‘Neverendum’

February 5  A ‘New Politics’ in Scotland?

February 6 Scotland in Europe

Email registration to david.arter@uta.fi by January 8

Draft programme: 

17.3. Introduction

19.3. Functionalism and federalism

24.3. Realism, intergovernmentalism

26.3. Constructivism

31.3. Constructivism, 'hands-on' exercise

9.4. Explaining enlargement

14.4. The EU as a strategic actor

16.4. Inter-organisational relations

21.4. The EU as a normative power

23.4. Explaining disintegration; conclusions

Students of the RES programme can use this course to compensate RES11.

Content

Historical evolution, UN System; International Justice, Humanitarian Intervention; International Economic Institutions; Global Health, Environmental Governance

The European Parliament brings together 751 MEPs from 28 EU member states. Initially just a talking shop, the EP is nowadays arguably one of the most powerful legislatures in the world. Decision-making in the Parliament is in turn based on interaction between committees and party groups. The objective of this course is to understand behavior and political dynamics in the Parliament.

The course consists of introductory lectures and seminars where students are expected to carry out empirical research on parliamentary behaviour. In the seminars the students must produce both an essay and an oral presentation on a particular aspect of the Parliament's work. 

Attendance is compulsory throughout the course.

Email registration to tapio.raunio@uta.fi by March 13 essential

This course is centered around finding political scenarios and debates in fictive texts. Politics is an integral part of many fictive texts, and often used to reflect real world issues, debates, and political scenarios. Many seminal works of science fiction, for example, extrapolate political issues like forms of government, pacifism, militarism and ethnic cleansing into contexts where they can be addressed in ways less suited for traditional political science. Weekly reading material will be made available for the students for reading, analysis, and reflection during the course.  

After the course, the students are expected to better understand how politics can be presented in fiction, and how these fictional politics can be used to make sense of actual political events. The students will be more adept at spotting political scenarios and reconstructing them in various contexts.  

The language of the course is English, so students are expected to be reasonably proficient in reading and writing academic texts in this language. English degree programme students can join students of Political Science on the course for a richer mutual understanding of disciplines and the texts.

Email registration to mikko.poutanen@uta.fi

The course can be taken as a part of the intermediate (aineopinnot) or advanced studies (syventävät opinnot). The intermediate studies completion is 5 credits, advanced studies 10 credits. Evaluation criteria includes active participation in the seminar, topical presentation in seminar, and essay (8–12 pages on one of the presented approaches).

For 10 credits the students will do a longer independent written work, as well as face more stringent grading.

For more details, contact the teacher responsible. Final course requirements will be given in the course syllabus.