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The seminar module offers a more extensive and more thorough analysis of a topic from within political science. To this end, the seminar module provides an overview and a critical discussion of the literature and the issues relevant for the topic of the seminar. The topic itself lies within one or more of the sub disciplines of political science: Comparative Politics, International Relations, Sociology, Public Administration and Public Policy. The course assessment can take different forms: a written assignment which addresses a specific issue within the topic of the seminar, an oral exam or a written exam.
This course aims at introducing international students to the key features of Danish politics and the policy style in Denmark. The course addresses the following themes: the Danish constitution, the party system, the structure of central and local government and the public sector, the role of interest organizations, political elites, Danish EU-politics, and the development of the Danish welfare state from a theoretical, historical, and contemporary perspective.
These themes have been selected for discussion because they reflect the core institutions of Danish politics and the Scandinavian policy style. Further, the themes are ideal for wider European comparisons where the students provide input from their own countries.
The way in which Danish political institutions and policies are designed also has broader theoretical interest. Denmark can, as Norway and Sweden, be seen as a particular example of what has been called ‘consensus democracy' and in this context various forms of parliamentarism are compared and it is discussed to what extent minority government is ineffective. Denmark is also characterized by a comparatively large public sector where local governments are responsible for 70 per cent of public consumption spending. Furthermore, the Danish example illustrates how corporatist decision making can be applied to control the overall expenditure level despite central government's limited formal powers over local government. Finally, the Danish welfare state offers a good starting point for comparisons with other welfare states. The Danish welfare state offers universal social rights irrespective of contributions whereas Continental welfare states make contributions a precondition for social rights. As elsewhere, globalisation and demographic changes have put pressure on the universal Danish welfare state. The course examines how reforms have tried to adjust the welfare state so that it can meet these challenges.
Compulsory course for exchange students
Flemming Juul Christiansen and Gert Tinggaard Svendsen
The assessment method is oral exam based on an essay .
External examiner/Graded marking.
The course will be based on short lectures, student presentations and general discussions. During the course, the participants must hand in 3 compulsory short essays based on independent studies. The final examination will be oral and will be based on the essays written by each participant as well as the reading list of the course. The reading list will be a combination of textbook material and articles by leading Danish scholars.
The course will be in English, and is designed especially for international students coming to Denmark. For political science students, the course is mandatory. Vacant places will be offered to international students from other disciplines who have sufficient prior knowledge political science.
The seminar module requires active participation of students. At the beginning of the seminar module the lecturer and the students agree on specific - activity requirements - that the students have to fulfill.
The module compendium consists of about 1,200 pages.
A complete list of literature will be available at the beginning of the course.
Blom-Hansen, Jens (1999). "Avoiding the ‘joint-decision trap': Lessons from intergovernmental relations in Scandinavia", European Journal of Political Research , 35, pp. 35-67.
Christensen, Jørgen Grønnegård (2006). "Ministers and Mandarins under Danish Parliamentarism", International Journal of Public Administration , Vol. 29, pp. 997-1019.
Christiansen, Peter Munk & Lise Togeby (2007). "Elite Transformation in Denmark 1932-1999", Comparative Social Research , Vol. 23, pp. 35-54.
Damgaard, Erik (2004). "Developments in Danish Parliamentary Democracy: Accountability, Parties, and External Constraints", Scandinavian Political Studies, Vol. 27, no. 2, pp 115-131. (17)
Daugbjerg, Carsten and Anders Branth Pedersen (2004), " New Policy Ideas and Old Policy Networks: Implementing Green Taxation in Scandinavia", Journal of Public Policy , vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 219-49.
Green-Pedersen, Christoffer (2001). "Minority Governments and Party Polities: the Political and Institutional Background to the ‘Danish Miracle'" Journal of Public Policy , 21, pp 53-70.
Green-Pedersen, Christoffer and Anders Lindbom (2005) ‘Politics within Paths: trajectories of Danish and Swedish earnings-related pensions', Journal of European Social Policy , 16, pp. 245-258.
Lijphart, Arend (1999). Patterns of Democracy. Government and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries, New Haven & London: Yale University Press, pp. 1-8; 31-41.
Mouritzen, Poul Erik (2007). "Danish Local Government", to appear in Erik Albæk et al. eds. (forthcoming). Crisis, Miracles, and Beyond: Negotiated Adaptation of the Danish Welfare State . Aarhus University Press.
Pierson, Paul (1996). "The New Politics of the Welfare State", World Politics , 48, pp. 143-179.
de Vreese, Claes & Holli A. Semetko (2004). "News matters: Influence on the vote in the Danish 2000 euro referendum campaign", European Journal of Political Research, 43, pp. 699-722.
Svensson, Palle (2002). "Five Danish Referendums on the European Community and European Union: A Critical Assessment of the Franklin Thesis", European Journal of Political Research , 41, pp. 733-750.
