POL3451W: Politics and Society in the New Europe

The devastation of Europe through two World Wars put the deadly results of ultra-nationalism on full display. To avoid such destruction again, a group of European technocrats and leaders embarked on a mission of incrementally deepening economic and later, social partnerships between an ever-expanding number of European countries. These efforts culminated in the birth of the European Union in the late 20th Century. From its inception, the Union has found obstacles in the forms of a weak institutional structure and authority, deep skepticism of a central European authority, financial crisis, ethnic anxiety, and resurgent nationalism. Yet, the continuation and strengthening of the Union is seen as the antidote to the rise of anti-democratic and authoritarian tendencies on the continent. Some of the key questions that we will engage in are: What are the ideological and historical roots of the European Union? What are the structural flaws of the Union? What are the obstacles to a stronger Union? Is the Union still or even more essential than ever? What are the ways the Union could collapse from within and from the intervention of outside forces?

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