Program Description 2008
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Beyond the Crossroads: The Challenges of Post-Maastricht Europe
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The Maastricht Treaty of 1992 represents a critical juncture in the long evolution of European political economic integration. The treaty transformed the institutions of the European Union (EU) and set its members on an accelerated pathway towards monetary integration. The Europe of today still wrestles with the political compromises and economic implications of this treaty. The Carleton College Political Science Seminar in Maastricht, The Netherlands provides students with an opportunity to research and reflect critically on the politics of European integration while they live and travel throughout Western and Southern Europe. Maastricht is the program's home base. This small city of 120,000 is a monument to Europe's past and its future. Founded as a walled fortress by the Romans in 50 B.C., it is the oldest city in The Netherlands, as its many medieval churches and squares attest. Located at the southern tip of the Netherlands, it lies a mere 20 minutes west of Germany and just east of Belgium. Its strategic geographic location on the Maas River has made it the site of many historic battles. Now it lies at the center of a peaceful Europe as a symbol of unity and strength. Maastricht is also a reflection of a multilingual Europe as English, French, and German can be heard in addition to Dutch. |
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Given its strategic location at the heart of Western Europe, Maastricht is a perfect location for learning about European political economy through site visits in nearby, key locations such as Brussels, Frankfurt, and Luxembourg. Classroom instruction will take place in the seminar room of the Crown Plaza Hotel in Maastricht, overlooking the scenic Maas River and just steps away from the city's excellent museum, the Bonnefanten. |
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Students will find all of the research materials they will need at the library of the the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA), one of the official resource centers the EU maintains in its member states. Here, students will have the use of official EU reports, data, and archives. |
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The Faculty Director
Alfred P. Montero, Associate Professor of Political Science
Al Montero has taught comparative politics since 1996 and has been at Carleton since 1998. A specialist on both Latin American and European political economy, he has published several scholarly books, articles and chapters on these subjects. He has extensive field research experience in Brazil, Mexico, and Spain and has traveled throughout Western Europe. Prof. Montero's work in Europe focuses on the political economy of subnational government and the regional policy of the European Union. He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and has studied French. Mar Valdecantos, his wife, is a sociologist and writer from Madrid, Spain, who specializes in consumer culture in the U.S. and Europe. She has taught Spanish at Carleton since 1999 and is fluent in French. Diana, their six-year-old daughter, will accompany them on this program. (This will be Diana's third Maastricht program!)
Courses of Study
Students who successfully complete the Maastricht program will earn 18 credits. Each course meets up to twice a week for two hours, except during the field research period toward the end of the term. The research seminars will prepare students for the six-credit field research experience. All work is in English but knowledge of any of the major European languages will be very useful for conducting field work.
Political Science 383-07
Political and Economic Integration of Europe (6 credits)
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This course examines the formation, development, institutions, laws, and major policies of the European Union. It trains students to think about the major questions of EU-level governance as these issues are addressed by academics and by policy practitioners. Students will work on particular EU policy areas and country members during the classroom portion of the course in Maastricht. They will then travel to Brussels and Luxembourg to investigate the major issues facing the EU. Students will conduct group research on EU officials in Brussels and prepare a quantitative study based on this original research. Taught by Prof. Montero. Cross-listed with the Political Economy Concentration and European Studies Concentration. |
Political Science 387-07
The Europe of Regions (6 credits)
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This research seminar will examine the issues facing subnational polities and economies as they deal with the project of European integration. Economic and institutional change during the last twenty years have, in most subnational regions, fundamentally challenged centuries-old development patterns and cultures based on them. Some European regions have coped by producing innovative responses to these changes, while others have been less successful. The course will investigate the diverse paths of the European regions with an emphasis on the role of EU regional policy and subnational politics. |
Students will be broken up into various small research groups and they will organize and conduct their own original projects in the subnational regions of their choice in Western and Southern Europe. The substantive focus of this project will be qualitative case study research of the effects of real projects supported by EU structural funds. During the final weeks of the term, each research team will prepare a thorough written analysis of the EU projects they compared based on their field work. Taught by Prof. Montero. Cross-listed with the Political Economy Concentration and the European Studies Concentration. This course also qualifies for asterisk credit in the political science and international relations majors.
Political Science 392-07
Comparative Field Research Methods (6 credits)
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Each of the research groups formed as part of the Europe of Regions seminar will be trained to tackle the fundamental challenges of conducting original research in situ. Students will receive instruction in the preparation of contacts, work with official sources, research and use of primary documents, on-site interviews and visits, finding solutions to the language barrier problem, and other aspects of fieldwork research in comparative politics. Investigation will begin at the European Institute of Public Administration and then expand with a field research experience in regions chosen by the students. Prof. Montero will present several cases for study in POSC 387, including areas of the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Germany, Sweden, and Portugal. Taught by Prof. Montero. |
Sites for Research
Given Maastricht's strategic location in the heart of western Europe, students have relatively easy access to research sites in Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, and even the U.K. The program encourages students to explore Europe during weekends, mid-term break, and during the field research segment. A great variety of sites are only a few hours away by railway or highway.
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Housing
| Students will be housed in apartments located in the center of town and maintained by International Guesthouse, a private company based in Maastricht. All apartments have fully-equipped kitchens including conventional and microwave ovens, cable television, facilities for high-speed internet connections, and weekly maid service. Students are encouraged to use their meal allowance to prepare their own food and/or to eat at the many pubs and restaurants in the city. |  |
Eligibility
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The program is designed for students who are interested in European politics and political economy, particularly the development of the European Union and regional issues. To participate in the program, students must have completed: - Political Science 120 Comparative Political Regimes, - POSC 263 European Political Economy or POSC 265 Politics of Global Economic Relations, and - The methods sequence in Political Science, including POSC 230. (Non-majors must take MATH 215 and petition the director for an exception to POSC 230 at the time of their application). Required courses may be taken after admission to the program, but all must be completed by March 2008 to travel to Maastricht. All students must have valid passports (and visas if not North American students) by September 1, 2007 (for spring apps) or November 1, 2007 (for fall apps) to successfully complete the application and admission stage. |
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Expenses
| Students pay the 2007-08 Carleton comprehensive fee, which covers the costs of instruction, room, board, all scheduled excursions, and research travel costs. Students are responsible for personal expenses, transportation to and from Maastricht, and personal travel during the seminar. Student financial aid is applied as on campus. See the financial handout on off-campus study regarding work study contracts, loans, and other subjects on financial aid. |  |
Application Information
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There will be two rounds of applications: spring term and fall term 2007. It is expected that the majority of participants will be selected from applicants who apply by Tuesday, April 24, 2007. The remaining places will be filled in a second round due Thursday, September 27, 2007. Application forms are available from the Office of Off-Campus Studies, Leighton 119, and must be returned to Professor Montero by the application deadlines. The application is also available at: Application. Students selected for the program will be notified within two weeks of the application deadlines. An information session will be held on Friday, February 2, 2007. |
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