Political Differences of Germany’s Prime Minister

Description

Pick a country from among these four: Germany, Ireland, Slovakia or Spain. Then pick a position from among these five: Prime Minister/Chancellor, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Minister of Economics/Finance, Minister of the Environment/Agriculture, or Commissioner of the European Union. State in the title of your paper the country that you are from, the position you hold, and the EU institution you are a member of . Your main task in the paper will be to write about the issues you are concerned about, the interests that you represent, and how you would best do that within the context of the European Union’s institutions. Go to the European Union homepage (https://europa.eu/european-union/index_en) on the world wide web, where you will find lots of information on the institutions and policies of the European Union. First look at some of the general information (“The EU at a glance”) regarding the most important institutions, policies, and history of the European Union, to get an overview.  In the introduction of your paper, first identify your job title and the country or institution that you represent, either as a government minister or EU commissioner. Then briefly address the following questions: What is the European Council , what is the Council of the European Union, what is the difference between the two, and who is represented in ieach? How many members does the European Council have and how many votes does each member state have? What country currently holds the presidency of the European Council and when and where will the Council meet next? What are some of the most important issues currently on the EU Council’s agenda? Then, find information on the member country that you come from and the specific institution of the European Union that you are part of, either as a representative of a member country government or as a member of the European Union staff. Use both your textbooks and the web as resources, for instance the EU’s links to member states governments and the EU Commission web site . Address question such as: How long has your home country been a member of the EU? What are some of your country’s basic characteristics in terms of its population size, economic strength, and military power? What government from what political party is in charge of your country at the moment, and what is your relationship with the governing party? How important and influential is your country within the EU? Given your official position, what EU institution(s) are you part of and what do these institutions do? What are some of the past and present issues that your country and/or your specific institution has debated, and what are some of the most important recent decisions that your country’s government or your institution made with respect to European integration? What are some of the policy positions that your country advocates or supports?  In your conclusion, try to summarize what you think are some of the crucial issues that you in your role of government minister or EU bureaucrat would put on top of your agenda, and why? What would you say are your home country’s important national interests and how would you try to advance them in the EU? Make sure to include the proper in-text citations and a list of references, i.e. all the sources you have been using in writing your assignment! Use the American Psychological Association (APA) style for writing your paper and be consistent in its application. Proper form makes a difference in how others read your work and how seriously they take it; a messy paper distracts readers from the point you are trying to make. Consistency of form will help the reader focus on what you have written. Always keep in mind that failure to acknowledge sources will be viewed as plagiarism and results in a failing grade.  Your paper should start with a brief introduction of your topic and thesis, followed by the main part that answers questions posted in the assignment and presents a detailed description and analysis of the topic, and a conclusion in which you some up your main points and argument. If you need help with writing your paper or if you want to improve your writing skills, visit WMU’s Writing Center.  Type your manuscript on 8.5 x 11-inch white paper and avoid a typeface that is unusual or hard to read. Begin your paper with a title page that includes the title of your paper, your name, the course number and name, the instructor’s name, and the date. Type your paper double-spaced. Use margins of at least one inch on all sides of the page. Indent the first line of each paragraph five spaces (one-half inch) from the left margin. Direct quotations longer than four lines should be indented also and typed single-spaced. Use headings and subheadings, but use them sparingly. Number all pages consecutively, except the title page but including the “References” page.  Use in-text citations that refer readers to a list of references rather than footnotes or endnotes. In-text citations are inserted in parentheses in the text and must include at least the author’s last name and the date of publication, e.g. Dinan 2005. If the author is unknown, use the first two or three words of the book title (underlined) or the article title (in quotation marks) in the parenthetical citation, e.g. “Global Studies: Europe, 2005”; or “The Politics of European Integration”, 1996. For direct quotations give also a page number, e.g. Piper 2004, p. 101. For citations of material retrieved from the internet, use the following format: e.g. World Bank, World Bank Indicators 2002; retrieved May 3, 2000 from http://www.worldbank.org/data/wdi2000/pdfs/tab1_4.pdf.  Begin your list of references on a new page, titled “References.” Alphabetize the list by the last name of the authors or, when the author is unknown, by the first word of the title. Underline or italicize the titles and subtitles of books. Each entry should include the last name of the author, the first name(s), the year of publication, the title, the edition (if other than first), the place of publication, and the publisher. List sources retrieved through the Internet by citing the author or title, the date you retrieved the information, and the location or www-address, e.g. World Bank, World Bank Indicators 2002; retrieved May 3, 2000 from http://www.worldbank.org/data/wdi2000/pdfs/tab1_4.pdf.