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Leiden Universiteit Fall 2003 Professor Roger Congleton |
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Suggested
Texts:
Improving
Democracy through
Constitutional Reform Kluwer Academic Press, 2003, R.D. Congleton The Economic Effects of Constitutions MIT Press, 2003, T. Persson and G. Tabellini. Other Readings and References |
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| 10-9-03 |
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Positive and normative theory, Definition of a constitution, Difference between legal and political economy definitions, Effects of constitutions on public policy, Examples from Sweden. (See Ch. 1-2 of Improving Democracy [ID].) |
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The median voter model, proportional representation and coalition governance, majority rule and the "dividing the pie problem." (See the Median Voter Model and Ch. 5 of ID) |
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The Continuum between dictatorship and democracy, Gains to Trade between Kings and Parliaments, Tax Constitutions in Early European Monarchies. (See King and Council, Ch. 3 of ID, Brennan and Buchanan (1977), North and Weingast (1989) ). |
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Parliaments were always representative but were not always democratic. In what circumstances will parliament expand suffrage? Is there a need for revolution or is constitutional exchange enough? Industrialization and Democracy |
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An overview of the emergence of democracy in the Northern Kingdoms during the nineteenth century. (Ch. 3, 4, 5 of ID ) |
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(Professor Congleton is off to LSE: Take Home Exam) |
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and Public Policy |
Origins of bicameral legislatures, Biased and unbiased forms of bicameralism, simulated bicameral legislatures The policy effects of bicameralism,The tension between bicameralism and democratic norms, Is the EU bicameral? (Unbiased Bicameralism) |
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Federal systems can be more or less decentralized. The economic and political case for decentralization. Does the subsidiarity principle apply to national governance? The difficulty of institutional design, menu federalism. (Menu Federalism) |
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Referenda as a method of addressing
political agency problems, the evidence from Switzerland and the US. Frey and Stutzer: Direct Democracy |
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(Suggested Paper Topics) |
(Gains to trade between national policy makers, treaties as Coasian Contracts, political risks from delegation shape international institutions, Contemporary environmental and European examples. Global Commons, Coercion and Exit within Treaty Organizations |
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Is the new EU still a treaty
organization? Effects of sovereignty on EU policy making, the democratic
deficit, How new is the new constitution? (Proposed Constitution for Europe) |
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12-03-03
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(Please drop it off at my office
or e-mail it by 16:30.) |