Formation/Cours

This course is divided into twelve 2-hour lectures.

The aim of this course is to introduce foreign students to French political life and political culture. By the end of the lectures, they will get familiar with the main figures of the executive (social background, ideology political platform, main reforms implemented), from De Gaulle to Macron, as well as their political entourage. We will examine more specifically the weight of the gaullist legacy. We will then study the functioning of the institutions derived from the 1958 Constitution and we will zoom into French specifities (e.g.cohabitation, dual executive). Exposure will be given to aspects relevant of political communication (presidential campaigns and debates). Relationships between the executive and parliament, ss well as the peculiarities of the French administration (i.e. hiring procedures, politicization, pantouflage) will also be studied. Lastly, we will focus on the political forces,end the evolution of the partisan system (decline of the communist party, ups and down of the PS, recomposition of the republican right and center, breakthrough of the far-right). Finally, we will raise the question of the representation of interests in today’s France (i.e. economic interest groups, trade unions, social movements, feminism, environmentalism) in the last part of the course.

On many occasions, we will view videos, mainly taken from the archives of the INA, national institute of audiovisual, to illustrate for the key moments of French political life in the past 50 years.

1. Introductory class : Characterizing French political culture

PART 1 : HISTORICAL OVERVIEW (1958-present)

1. France since 1958 ( De Gaulle, Pompidou)


2. France since 1958 (Giscard d’Estaing, Mitterrand)


3. France since 1958 (Chirac, Sarkozy)


4. France since 1958 (Hollande, Macron)

PART 2 : THE FUNCTIONING OF INSTITUTIONS

1. The strengthening of executive government


2. Checks and balances on the executive


3. French state and bureaucratic power in France

PART 3 : POLITICAL FORCES IN TODAY’S FRANCE

1. The Making of the French Party System


2. Contemporary French Parties


3. The Representation of interests