Course: Specifics of Czech municipal politics in the context of small municipalities

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Course title Specifics of Czech municipal politics in the context of small municipalities
Course code KPOL/B308
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Seminary
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 3
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Hornek Jakub, PhDr. Ph.D.
Course content
1. Introduction to municipal politics. 2. Basic European comparison and classification of the Czech Republic. 3. Municipal structure of the Czech Republic. 4. Budgetary determination of taxes and impact on municipalities. 5. Administrative and expert capacities of small municipalities. 6. Inter-municipal cooperation and interest associations of municipalities. 7. Municipal politics in small municipalities and its actors. 8. Counterpoints 1 - case studies of successful small municipalities. 9. Counterponts 2 - case studies of the smallest municipalities and their problems. 10. Counterpoints 3 - case studies of indebted small municipalities 11. Municipal vulnerability and the future of small municipalities in the Czech Republic 1. 12. Municipal vulnerability and the future of small municipalities in the Czech Republic 2. 13. Final lesson - summary and defence of group seminar papers.

Learning activities and teaching methods
unspecified, unspecified, unspecified, unspecified, unspecified, unspecified
Learning outcomes
The aim of the course is to introduce the specifics of municipal politics from the perspective of small municipalities, whoch make up the majority of the municipal structure Czech Republic. The course thus focuses on the local level of the political system of the Czech Republic. The core of the course is the issue of small minicipalities (specifics, municipal politics/elections, representation of small municipalities at higher levels, inter-municipal cooperation, financing, possible future development, threats). The course puts emphasis on real situations from practice (case studies), which characterize the specifics of the local level of the Czech political system.
The student will gain knowledge about the specifics of Czech municipal politics in small municipalities. He/she will acquire knowledge about the financing of municipalities, their administrative and expert capacities and the factors that threaten their development. The student will also gain practical knowledge of the functioning of both successful minicipalities and municipalities at risk (indebted).
Prerequisites
None.

Assessment methods and criteria
unspecified
Completion of ongoing activities within individual lectures/seminars (50%). Writing and the defending a group seminar paper (50%).
Recommended literature
  • Balík, S. Česká komunální politika v obcích s rozšířenou působností: koalice, voličské vzorce a politické strany na místní úrovni v letech 1994-2006. Brno, 2008. ISBN 978-80-7325-144-4.
  • Balík, S. Komunální politika. Obce, aktéři a cíle místní politiky. Praha, 2009.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester