Course Syllabus

What are the challenges and prospects facing Europe today? The European Union is the realization of a bold vision: a large economic and political space with free movement of goods, services, capital and labor. Yet rigid markets, overregulation and reform resistance make it hard to adapt to globalization, the process of Eastern enlargement has created great divergence, and some economies in the West perform disappointingly. This course will examine the European Monetary Union, the Lisbon Strategy, and the challenges facing new entrants, with an eye toward analyzing the state of European integration. In examining Europe today, we will also consider the relation of Europe to Russia and compare the European model to the dynamic societies of China, India, and the United States. Special attention will be given to the economic rationale and political implementation.