Aims

By the end of this course, students should have acquired a good knowledge of the socio-political and administrative workings of the Belgian political system and acquired a capacity to analyse the events which govern the country's political landscape. This will be the particular focus of the Current Affairs Seminar.

Main themes

During the course, students will:
- Study the basic structures of Belgian political society (divisions, pillars, consociationalism, etc.) and analyse the political balance of power, including at election time;
- Take a closer look at the electoral and Party systems, the parties as such, Parliament, the government and the political elites;
- Study the structures and operation of the public sector.

Content and teaching methods

Part 1: AP Frognier (10.)
1. Belgium's national foundations
2. Belgium's socio-political foundations
3. Divisions and Parties
4. The balance of power between the political actors
Part 2: L. De Winter(10.)
1. Electoral system and Party system during the post-war period
2. The Belgian political Parties: ideology, organisation and operation
3. Structure and operation of Parliament
4. Formation, structures and decision-making mechanisms of the federal governments
5. Partocracy, clientelism, corruption and political revivals
Part 3: Visscher C. of (10.)
1. Analysis of the public sector in Belgium: forms of administrations and public services: methods of organisation, manpower, relations with the political power
2. Resource management within the public administration (budget; public service)
3. The politico-administrative system in action: study of the public policy cycle, from introduction to implementation (using concrete examples)

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Course entry requirements: Students must have taken the Public Law course. Foreign students taking this course during an exchange programme will need to plan for an alternative way of covering this material.
Evaluation: written examination
Course materials: Students will receive a reading portfolio

Other credits in programs