This course will give students a broad understanding of European politics. The course is organized thematically, covering issues such as federalism and devolution, the executive and legislature, political parties, elections and voting systems, the media, civil society, and race and ethnicity. Particular attention will be paid to the comparative study of different European countries across these issue areas. The final two weeks of the course will be devoted to class debates on some of the major contemporary issues in European politics, with topics for debate to be agreed between the instructor and students (possible topics may include immigration, the Greece crisis, Brexit, the rise of the far right, other topics may be suggested by the instructor or students).