HU Credits: 2

Degree/Cycle: 2nd degree (Master)

Responsible Department: Cont. German Studies:politics, Soc.&Cult

Semester: 1st Semester

Teaching Languages: English

Campus: Mt. Scopus

Course/Module Coordinator: Dr. Ina Kubbe

Coordinator Email: inakubbe@gmail.com

Coordinator Office Hours:

Teaching Staff:
Dr. Ina Kubbe

Course/Module description:
This course describes, explains, and assesses the structures, institutions and involved actors of the political economy of Germany in the context of Europe and the rest of the world. It includes an understanding of the economic and political system and its regional manifestations from an interdisciplinary, comparative perspective. Therefore, we will answer questions such as “Why is Germany’s economy perceived as so successful?”; “How does the EU impact decision-making in Germany?; “How are the features of the country’s political system influencing its international economic alliances?” and “What are the current and future competitive challenges of the ‘German model’?”
Based on insights from political science, economics, sociology, psychology and history, the course is divided into three parts. First, we will survey the major theoretical and empirical foundations and contributions of the political economy of Germany. We analyze theories on the origins, stability, and changes of capitalist structures and the welfare state in Germany, but also in Europe in general. We will concentrate on important areas of political economy, such as the rise of finance and credit, as well as the long-term challenges of growing inequality and labor market dualization. As the political economy of a country is the historical result of political and economic, we will also focus on the historical roots such as the reunification process and the economic and political situation in the “new” federal states.
The second part of the course moves from the national to the supranational, European and global arenas. We analyze the relationship between German and the European Union, examine the deeper processes of European integration as well as challenges such as the eurozone crisis or Brexit that have significantly shaped European economies. Additionally, we will have a closer look at Germany’s economic relationships with countries outside of Europe such as the US or China.
Finally, we discuss contemporary challenges as well as opportunities that the “German model” faces such as lobbyism, corruption, organized crime, inequality or COVID-19. The goal of the course is also to understand the linkages and tensions between democracy and capitalism, between national variation and international integration, and to study wealth, inequalities, community and nature of the German political economy.

Course/Module aims:

Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Describing, explaining and assessing the political economy of Germany as well as
- major theoretical and empirical foundations and contributions of the political economy of Germany
- the historical roots of the state
- the German Welfare State
- Germany and its international economic partners
- the relationship between Germany and the EU
- Germany and the USA, China, UK (role of Brexit)
- Lobbyism and interest groups
- Corruption and organized crime
- Social, economic and political inequality within the society
- COVID-19

Attendance requirements(%):
Yes

Teaching arrangement and method of instruction: interactive, based on reading materials, presentations, discussions

Course/Module Content:
PART I: Understanding the political economy of Germany: Theoretical and empirical contributions Session 1: Theories and concepts of political economy
- the political economy of Germany
- the historical roots of the state
- the German Welfare State

PART II: The German economy in European and International contexts
- Germany and its international economic partners
- the relationship between Germany and the EU
- Germany and the USA, China, UK (role of Brexit)

PART III: Challenges and Opportunities of Germany’s political economy
- Lobbyism and interest groups
- Corruption and organized crime
- Social, economic and political inequality within the society
- COVID-19

Required Reading:
- Sidney A. Rothstein & Tobias Schulze-Cleven (2020) Germany After the Social Democratic Century: The Political Economy of Imbalance, German Politics, 29:3
- Online document: Modern economic history: from partition to reunification The West German system
- Streeck and Trampusch (2004)_Economic reform and the political economy of the German welfare state
- Online Document: Germany and the European Union
- Bartkowiak,M. & A. Ratajczak (2019): Brexit and the effects on Germany from an economic and social perspective. PP3 (19).
- Online Document: U.S. Relations With Germany
- Online Document: United States of America: bilateral relations to Germany
- Dadush et al (2019): The State of China-European Union Economic Relation. Working Paper (09).
- Polk, Andreas (2017): Lobbyism in Germany: What do we know? Beiträge zur Jahrestagung 2016 (Witten/Herdecke) 175190, Verein für Socialpolitik, Ausschuss für Wirtschaftssysteme und Institutionenökonomik.
- Andrea De Petris (2019): Corruption and Bribes in the German Public Sector. A long lasting Challenge and the Efforts to win it. DPCE Online 38(1).
- Dorn et al (2018:) Inequality and Extremist Voting: Evidence from Germany
- Online Document: So­cial in­equal­i­ty and in­clu­sive growth in Germany
- Naumann et al (2020): COVID‐19 policies in Germany and their social, political, and psychological consequences. European Policy Analysis.

Additional Reading Material:

Course/Module evaluation:
End of year written/oral examination 0 %
Presentation 0 %
Participation in Tutorials 0 %
Project work 0 %
Assignments 0 %
Reports 0 %
Research project 0 %
Quizzes 0 %
Other 100 %
see below

Additional information:
Course Requirements
- Class attendance and active participation – 20% of the final grade
- Class presentation during the sessions based on the provided literature – 30% of the final grade
- Final Assignment – 50% of the final grade

Final Assignment - Research Paper
- should comprise of an introduction including research question, hypothesis, literature review, analysis, discussion
- research must relate to established theoretical and empirical debate and must discuss at least one of sections learned in class
- 2500-3500 words (including bibliography)