Contemporary Europe.ppt

Contemporary Europe Similarities to the USA Most are democratic political systems Multi-party systems Elections Representative democracy Most are capitalist economic systems The Euro: the main currency Racism and Ethnic Tensions The former Yugoslavia Parts of France and Germany Religious Tensions Ireland/Northern Ireland Turkey The former Yugoslavia Dissimilarities to the USA Some have monarchies Belgium, Sweden, and Spain Parliamentary systems of government Single currency officially dominates a continent More potent density Very strong notions about the role of government and social welfare Major Focal Points Lately Iraq Major source of contention between the Europeans and the Americans Germany and France actively opposed military action Euro vs. The US Dollar Turkey and entrance into the EU Greek-Cyprus Issue France: political scandal Germany: human services policy reform Russian Fed: Chechnya, jailing of businessmen opposed to Putin EU Court Battle with Microsoft Ireland/Northern Ireland: IRA moving into organized crime? European Politics In General EU Parliament National Parliaments/Assemblies Multi-Party Democracies Parliamentary Systems of Government Majority Party rules Votes of “no confidence” “Question Times” Parliamentary Systems Differ Differences in structure depending on which country we are talking about Some countries have strong, elected Heads of State (France) Most Heads of State are primarily ceremonial Some employ “proportional representation” Western Europe Typically more “western” Democratic political systems Rule of law Stable political systems Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, Cyprus Capitalist systems either strongly industrial or post-industrial Eastern Europe Countries that used to be under the “Warsaw Pact” Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, The Baltics, Ukraine, Russian Fed, Bulgaria Ex-communist countri