Multi-level Government
Code: 101109 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500259 Political Science and Public Management | OT | 3 | 2 |
| 2500259 Political Science and Public Management | OT | 4 | 0 |
| 2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics | OT | 3 | 2 |
| 2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics | OT | 4 | 0 |
| 2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics | OT | 4 | 1 |
| 2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics | OT | 4 | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- Guillem Rico Camps
- Email:
- Guillem.Rico@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- catalan (cat)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- Yes
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- No
External teachers
- Mireia Grau Creus
Prerequisites
Multilevel government is an optional subject falling on the profile 'Political Science and Public Management' of the Degree in Political Science of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
When we talk about multilevel government, we usually refer to the political and institutional interaction of different political units within the framework of a compound political system. In this subject, we will analyse multilevel government in the framework of a specific compound country: Spain. The analysis is based on two basic pillars: an initial theoretical/analytical pillar (what do we understand when we talk about federalism?) and an empirical pillar (how does really work the interaction between the governments of the autonomous communities and that of the Spanish government?
The contents of the subject are organized into two main blocks. In the first block, we will analyze the federal and decentralized institutional models, paying separate attention to those models in which federalism is an end by itself, and those models in which federal arrangements are applied to manage plurinational conflicts. We will have a look at several political systems that are defined within all the ranges of federalism.
In the second block, we will focus on the Spanish case. We will analyse the different institutional instruments that set up the interaction between the two different levels of government. The analysis will have a double dimension: that about the institutional design of the system and that of its real performance in federal terms. The analysis of the institutional framework of these instruments (i.e., how they are designed and what political and contextual factors account for this design) as well as their operation and impacts link Block 2 to Block 1. Linking them will, therefore, contribute to define very precisely not only the real nature of Spain as a compound political system, but also the limitsof some reforms.
In both blocks, I will combine teaching sessions (either by me or by expert guests) with interactive sessions (presentation and debates of short essays).
As for the prerequisites for taking this subject, motivation is required for issues related to the Spanish political system, institutional design, public policies and comparative politics.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The functioning of the Spanish multilevel system has always been an issue that has generated many debates. Nevertheless, there is still a great deal of obscurity about the working of the intergovernmental instruments and, above all, their effectiveness. The debate on whether Spain is "the most decentralized country in the world" or whether, on the contrary, is one of the countries that most centralizes decentralization, is the central axis of this subject. The final objective is to analyse multilevel government in Spain with the lenses of a practitioner but within the academic framework.
Competences
- Political Science and Public Management
- Applying the discipline's main theories and different fields to real practical and professional problems.
- Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
- Demonstrating the understanding of intergovernmental relationships and identifying the position of Public Administrations in the political system.
- Describing and understanding the functioning of the Public Administration on a state, sub-state and supranational level.
- Distinguishing the discipline's main theories and different fields: conceptual developments, theoretical frameworks and theoretical approaches underlying the discipline's knowledge and different areas and sub-areas, as well as their value for the professional practice through concrete cases.
- Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
- Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
- Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
- Producing and planning researches or analytical reports.
- Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
- Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
- Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
- Using different tools for the analysis and explanation of the formulation, decision, implementation and evaluation processes in public policies.
- Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
- Working autonomously.
- Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.
Learning Outcomes
- Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
- Critically analysing the configuration process of the public agenda.
- Demonstrating the understanding of intergovernmental relationships and identifying the position of Public Administrations in the political system.
- Describing and understanding the functioning of the Public Administration on a state, sub-state and supranational level.
- Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
- Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
- Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
- Producing and planning researches or analytical reports.
- Properly explaining and describing main theoretical approaches of the analysis of political sciences: cycle of politics, actor-network, institutional approaches, rational choice theory.
- Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
- Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
- Suggesting and explaining a case study of a concrete public policy.
- Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
- Using different tools for the analysis and explanation of the formulation, decision, implementation and evaluation processes in public policies.
- Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
- Working autonomously.
- Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.
Content
BLOCK I: Multilevel government in the framework of composite states .
Unit 1. Presentation.
Unit 2. Decentralization and federalism: ¿ are we talking about the same thing?
Unit 3. Constitutive elements of federalism and of decentralization.
Unit 4. Federal systems: founding objectives and evolution.
Unit 5 Decentralized systems and the third way: consociationalism.
Unit 6. The map of indicators and the conceptual debates on federalism.
Seminar 1. Analysis of historical or recent events in several federal countries that highlight the fact and operation of the federal government.
Seminar 2. Analysis of historical/recent events in several countries that underline the debate on decentralization.
Unit 7. Recapitulation and first attempt to define the compound and multilevel nature of Spain.
BLOCK II: The analysis of the Spanish multilevel system.
Unit 8. The configuration of the Spanish decentralization: the choice and design of the basic aspects of the self-shared rule.
Topic 9. The optimist times: the enthusiasm of the elites, the favourable public opinion and the biological perspectives.
Seminar 3. Political parties and the Spanish decentralization: the Acuerdos Autonómicos (1982) and the Pactos Autonómicos (1991).
Unit 10. Self-Government: who does what and to what extent? A friendly political science perspective to the distribution of powers.
Unit 11. Shared-rule? Intergovernmental relations and instruments of "cooperation": seriously?
Unit 12. Referees and mediators: avoiding conflicts? The Constitutional Court and the negotiations of the bilateral commissions: evolution and impacts.
Unit 13. The ability of the autonomous communities to influence the definition of Spanish-wide policies: "official" parliamentary channels and other alternatives.
Unit 14. The beginning of the end of the harmony on decentralization: the reform of the autonomous-community charts and the economic crisis.
Seminar 4. The end or the failure of the Spanish model?
Seminar 5. The triggering and the implementation of article 155 of the Spanish Constitution to the Catalan Government and Administration: paradoxes and impacts.
Methodology
The methodology combines a series of interactive and complementary activities aimed at strengthening learning skills and abilities.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Master classes with IT support and group discussions | 50 | 2 | 9, 2, 1, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 14 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Final work and tutorials | 12 | 0.48 | 3, 8, 10, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 17, 14 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Text reading, study, research and writing essays | 75 | 3 | 9, 7, 5, 6, 12, 13, 16, 17, 14, 15 |
Assessment
The evaluation will be based on three different lines: it will combine presentations of short essays and debates in several seminars, partial written tests (with short questionnaire-type questions -multi-answer or not) and a final exam at the end of the term that will consist of an essay. This combination makes sure that all students go through a continuous evaluation distributed along the whole duration of the term.
The distribution of presentation of short essays
In order to have a final grade, students must have marks in all three type of evaluation instruments (seminars, tests and final exam).
The presentation of short essays will account for 25% of the final grade; the two partial written tests will account for another 25%, and the final exam for 50%.
Students who fail the continuous evaluation can have a compensatory exam.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 partial tests | 25% | 4 | 0.16 | 9, 8, 10, 7, 5, 11, 12, 16, 17, 14, 15 |
| Exam-essay | 50% | 3 | 0.12 | 9, 1, 3, 4, 7, 6, 13, 14 |
| Presentation of short papers and presentation in seminars | 25% | 6 | 0.24 | 9, 2, 3, 11, 12, 13, 14 |
Bibliography
Compulsory Bibliography
To be indicated right before starting the teaching (Virtual Campus).
Basic Bibliography
Most of the bibliographical references in the list are translations into Catalan from original English works. In this sense, it is up to the students to read the original versions or the translated ones.
Arbós, Xavier (coord) Las relaciones intergubernamentales en el Estado autonómico. La posición de los actores, Institut d’Estudis Autonòmics, 2009.
Caminal, Miquel i Ferran Requejo (eds.) Federalisme i plurinacionalitat. Teoria i anàlisi de casos, Institut d’Estudis de l’Autogovern, 2009.
Elazar, Daniel J. Anàlisi del federalisme i altres textos. Selecció de textos i estudi introductori a càrrec de Ronald L. Watts. Institut d’Estudis Autonòmics, 2011.
James Madison, James, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay El federalista Institut d’Estudis Autonòmics, 2009.
Requejo, Ferran (dir). Autogovern i relacions intergovernamentals en les democràcies actuals: El cas de Catalunya, Informe IEA 2/2019.
Requejo, Ferran (dir) Democràcies liberals i protecció de l'autogovern: Com protegir les minories territorials de les decisions de les majories, Informe IEA 2/2020.
Rodon, Toni El miratge de l’autogovern. El sistema autonòmic en perspectiva comparada, Estudis polítics i socioeconòmics, Fundació Irla, 2015.
https://irla.cat/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/miratge-autogovern-web.pdf
Software
No specific software.