European Economy A
Module Code: ECU33031
Module Title: European Economy A
- ECTS Weighting: 5
- Semester/Term Taught: Semester 1
- Contact Hours: 20 hours of lectures and 5 hours of tutorials
- Module Personnel: Lecturer - Professor John O’Hagan
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:
- Review and summarise reading material on various key aspects of European Union integration.
- Explain the importance and relevance of the information contained in this reading material.
- Compare and contrast different aspects of the policy debate surrounding European integration.
- Formulate a balanced, critical judgment on the status of each of these debates.
Module Learning Aims
The aim of this course is to equip students with a critical understanding of the major issues facing the European economy. The course provides a blend of policy information, history, and empirical analysis. The emphasis is on economic issues, but these issues are studied in their political, institutional, and historical context. Attention is devoted to some policy areas in which EU co-ordination has progressed furthest: labour markets, economic growth, agriculture/food sector and economic geography/regional policy. The course is suitable for any student who has taken first-year Economics, and all Visiting Students who have acquired an equivalent level of Economics understanding.
Module Content
- Historical evolution of the European Union.
- Law, institutions and budget.
- Decision making: fiscal federalism, distribution of power and legitimacy.
- Economic growth. Facts and explanations.
- Employment. Performance, labour market rigidities and EU labour market institutions.
- Location effects, economic geography and regional policy.
- Agriculture and the food sector: historical development of policy, and current issues (environment, sustainability, food safety and security of supply).
Recommended Reading List
Baldwin, R. and C. Wyplosz, (2022) (7th edition), The Economics of European Integration, McGraw-Hill.
The above is the core reading material and lectures will follow closely the material in this book. In addition to it, students should keep abreast of current European economy issues through newspapers and magazines, particularly the Financial Times, the Economist, and the Politico web site at: https://www.politico.eu/
Contact Hours/Methods of Teaching and Student Learning
The main mode of teaching is the use of standard lectures, running for 50 minutes twice a week, throughout the semester. The lectures will be used primarily to stimulate interest in the subject, provide introductions to some of the more difficult material in the core textbook, and to supplement the book where relevant. There are no lecture notes produced for the module, just bullet points slides to provide a context and focus for students during lectures.
There will also be a class programme (details to be provided later) at which students will be asked to contribute to class discussion. The lecturer will also be readily contactable by email (johagan@tcd.ie) to answer queries in relation to the course and to make face-to-face appointments if required.
Students will be asked to evaluate the module and any overall suggestions for improvement taken on board where possible.
Assessment Details
- Term test 50%
- Essay Assignment 45%
- Class participation 5%
Module Website
Blackboard.