Essay format: Please read carefully
Analyze TWO of the following four topics. You must limit yourself in your answers to 6 pages in total, that is, about 3 pages per topic, double-spaced for each answer. Wherever appropriate, insert references to readings and lecture notes/ slides from 120C. Place references in (
) such as (Smith, 2015, p. 7)
Your answers should reflect your own understanding of the topics you select. However, you may wish to refer to course materials to inform your analysis. Use quotes only where absolutely necessary. Exams will be evaluated on the depth and completeness of your understanding. All works will be proofed by Turnitin for plagiarism, which is a serious university offense.
1- French Party System Development and Elections
Discuss the development of party competition in the post-WWII era. Then consider why today the French party system appears to be in extraordinary disarray. How has this been manifested, including in the current presidential campaign? Why has this happened?
2- Presidential Power in France
Founded in 1958, General de Gaulles 5thRepublic created a constitutional framework that stresses executive authority and provides for a strong presidency. However, not all presidents in the history of the Fifth Republic have been able to exercise power effectively, consistently and without losing popular support. This is especially so for Frances two most recent presidents: Nicolas Sarkozy, François Hollande, and perhaps the present incumbent, Emmanuel Macron.
Discuss how we can best assess variations in the exercise of presidential power in the 5thRepublic.
3- Historic Turning Points in the Making of Modern France
France has endured many traumatic regime changes. Which three such changes in the modern era (defined by about 1750 to the present) do you consider the most significant? In your answer, discuss
a) When and how have such changes happened?
b) What have these regime changes meant in terms of institutional, social and economic transformations?
4-France in Social Turmoil?
For most observers, France appears to be a peaceful, prosperous democratic polity. Yet ever since 1789 France has also been characterized by historic episodes of social and political turmoil and unrest, including occasional outbursts of violent forms of protest. Some would further argue that in these moments of stress we observe, as well, a deep confrontation between an elite France and the other France?
Consider whether we should evaluate French politics as essentially stable and elitist, or as more typically chaotic and disruptive.
What evidence, from your knowledge of French politics, supports or challenges such divergent views on what best characterizes French politics. Discuss and analyse with respect to your knowledge gained from on this course.
Some notes i got from class:
Cohabitation
Centers of powers that coexist but are incompatible with each other
The Gaullist Tradition
De Gualle as Founder
He was Conservative
And a major political party
Generational changes of names
Wont ask about the senate (?)
Primary system
Original Government
Beginning of the 1700s Frances system of absolute monarchy had been a model for most of Europe
However, confrontations arose to create political institutions that adapted to the modern and secular world, and their outcome strongly influenced the direction of French life during the Revolution
The absolutists System and its weakness
Monarchical- so called absolute monarchy
Unlike the king of England who needed the approval of Parliament to enact laws and collect taxes
The French King did not share his legislative power with any other institution
He commanded the army and navy and the entire machinery of governmental administration and he was also the supreme judge, to whom verdicts in any other court could be appealed.
government positions were owned by families however the kind could not abolish venal office unless he reimbursed their holders. The system of venal office holding limited the kings control of his own government.
Weakness
Evident in tax collection
Tax farmers had every incentive to collect as much money as possible from the subjects and then forward as little as possible to Versailles
Causing the government to become short of money and to borrow from others
Parlements-says that the judges are defenders of the rights of the kings subjects
As long as the parlements remained untamed
Wars caused the ministers to raise more money
War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War
Economic distress and religious quarrels added to their difficulties
Not to mention religious strains
Parliament and ministerial authorities clashes
First Worlds War
Pitted French forces against the British on the seas, in distant North America, and on the Indian subcontinent
Same time had to fight Frederic the great armies in Germany- Frederic considered the greatest military commander in his day, inflicted a painful defeat on the French in 1757
In North America, the British captured all of French Canada in 1760
Seized french colonies in the caribbean, and french possession in India
Treaty of Paris
Signed in February 1763, set the seal of defeat that cost the French monarchy in money and prestige
Collapse of the Old Monarchy
Demographic expansion and economic change led to pressure on the land a widening gap between rich and poor, but living conditions for most of the population were better by the 1780s than they had been at the death of Louis XIV in 1715
Bourgeois resentment against the special privileges of the nobles were strong, but many wanted to gain noble status
New cultural and intellectual values that undermined faith in traditional institutions i.e. church has spread even among some of the lower classes
1789 was different from three decades of episodes of breakdown
Brought all the social, cultural, economic and political conflicts of eighteenth century France
Estates- General
Clergy, the nobility, the Third Estate (Commoners)
The two privileged estates- the clergy and the nobles- made up 3 percent of the population and controlled the assemblys three chambers and could dominate its proceedings.
The elections to the Estates- General transformed the notion of governing according to public opinion from an abstract slogan into a living reality
List of grievances- consensus in favor of the creation of some form of representative government , the abolishment of tax privileges and other forms of legal inequality
However the nobles offered few concession on issues raised by peasants.
Everywhere royal authority dissolved and power passed onto the hands to the Assembly and adopted the new symbols of patriotism.
The radical Revolution?
Economic Depression and Political Crisis
One reason for the difficulties in the early republican supremacy was the economic climate
Entailed a slowing of growth- but not a severe economic contraction and it did not affect the living standards as strongly bc unemployment was not as severe and prices of consumer goods actually fell faster than wages
Socialism
Had particular appeal in heavily industrialized areas where workers were concentrated in large factories
Purpose of a socialist political party was to educate workers and organize them into a powerful political party that would ultimately carry out a revolution against the bourgeois capitalist order
Success would grow with the proletariat
The revival of the Parliamentary Republic
By the time the new constitution was finally established, other issues especially economic problems dominated the publics mind
The liberation had failed to stimulate a real recovery from wartime poverty
2nd Republic
Napoleon nephew
education
Franco prussian war- prussia
Lost crediblity
Makes way to third republic
Third republic
World War 2 in decline
Establishing VICHY REGIME
Great depression
DREYFUS AFFAIR- third republic
After the franco prussia
ACCUSED of treason- for prussia
Racist against jew- military officer
In favor of dreyfus- against the church, socialist
Not in favor- monarchist, church
From the Fourth to the Fifth Republic
Disillusionment with the changes made after the war paved the way for a steady shift toward more conservative ministries.
The resistance activists- looked forward to a cultural and intellectual renewal as well as a political and social one.
Visible effect to liberation- to bring prominence a new generation of intellectuals inspired by the ideal of political commitment
Mendez- France
Courageous member of the Resistance during the war
Advocated a policy of rigorous austerity and concentration on industrial modernization after liberation
Wholeheartedly supported parliamentary government
Believed that fourth republic institution could be made to function if it found leaders of sufficient energy and integrity
Unlike Charles de Gaulle
The other strong man waiting in the wings
Did not support parliamentary gov
The need to make french industries competitive with those neighbors provided a contributing stimulus to the process of economic modernization
The Algerian War
Spreading nationalist revolt in Algeria
National Liberation Front (FLN) Launched an armed campaign to drive the French out.
Algeria was different from other colonies
At Home- combined impact of the war, inflation, and efforts pursued by Mendes-France to make the economy more efficient set off a new right-wing protest movement
The communists remained the largest single party
The extremist poujade movement obtained almost 12 percent of the vote
As the sense of crisis deepened , public confidence in the fourth republic diminished
Turned to wartime hero Charles de Gualle
Former leader seemed to stand above parties and possess the qualities the situation demanded
Obtained power on his own without subordinating himself either to the politicians or the generals
Frances Fourth republic disintegrated because of its inability to master the challenge of adapting France to a new political world despite some success in modernizing the countrys social and economic structures.
Constant changing of governmenets
Lots of cohabitation average life span was 8 months
Algerian crisis and indo china war
Algerian crisis- military coup overthrow the french government
Losing a war
De Gaulles Republic
Countrys political institutions were changes and a new regime the Fifth Republic was established
The stability resulting from the new constitution gave the country a chance to recognize the significance of the social and economic changes already begun before may 1958
The president was to be elected, not by the members of the two assemblies but by a cast electoral college made up of some seventy thousand local and national officials
Therefore claim that his authority rested on a broader base
The President was to name the prime minister, and he could appeal directly to the nation on issues he regarded a vital bny calling referenda. In times of a crisis the new constitution authorized the president to assume emergency powers.
Fifth Republic
Took a clear cut presidential character
A directly elected National Assembly, balanced by a Senate chosen by indirect election. The prime minister, designated by the president still needed the Assemblys approval to govern
A social transformation
Political stability and economic prosperity of the decade set the stage for profound transformations in French society.
The new society was characterized by a dramatic increase of living standards, a steady shift to new forms of work, an increase in leisure time, and a change in patterns of personal and family life.
The DeGaulle Years- were a time where french families were able to satisfy this yearning
Sharp increase of population- resulted in a demand for more teachers and more schools
Shift to a more technologically oriented economy encouraged the new generation to stay in school longer and demand more specialized instruction
Secondary education had to expand even faster than primary schooling
Changing structure of French Society
Nature of available employment possibilities was changing rapidly
The percentage of the population employed in agriculture plunged, particularly as a result of the Fifth Republics push for the modernization of that sector
The French middle classes preoccupations changed accordingly, from a desire to maintain individual economic autonomy to a greater concern about opportunities for promotion on the job and for greater freedom in private life
Low skilled jobs were being filled by immigrants
However, due to low unemployment rates during this time no concern were pressed
Charles dE GUALLE
WAR HERO in world war 1
Free france -to reject german occupation
Always wanted to fifth republic
Presidential has refe
Chapter 1
President Sarkozy 2007-2012
Inappropriate president
Engaged in personal excess that provoked widespread disapproval.
Was the first incumbent president of the Fifth Republic seeking reelection who did not lead in the first ballot round
Campaign was consistent with his use of electoral programmes and ideology
Built on limitless personal
Hollande
Accidental president
Public would favour an economically realistic social- democratic campaign message
All talk no results
Both did not confront head on problems or adjust the french economy so it could compete and thrive in the globalized world
The presidency under the Fifth Republic
The constitution of the Fifth Republic created a dual executive one in which both the prime minister and president are important political actors
The government decides and directs the policy of the nation and that it has the administration and the armed forces at its disposal
The political aspects of Parliament
For the first time under the Fifth republic, France is experiencing a left wing unified government
France has a semi- presidential regime with a bicameral legislature, a directly elected president and a prime minister leading the cabinet.
As a consequence the two chambers of the legislature and executive branch may both be divided or unified; the pattern of government control in france is thus complex and may have many different features
Unified government means that the majority party or coalition does not require the cooperation of any opposition party in order to legislate
Divided government the majority party or coalition does require such cooperation
Patterns of government control in France
Cohabitation is a case of divided government that stems from a situation of a divided executive that occurs when the president and the prime minister are partisan rivals.
The president is not devoid of all influence during these periods.
According to tradition of the reserved domain an opposition president continues to play a preeminent role in the field of defense and foreign policy
He/She may slow down the legislative process such as asking for a new reading of a law or refusing to sign or refusing an opening of a parliamentary session.
Only the National Assembly and the prime minister are certain to belong to the same partisan camp since the parliamentary character.. In other words- the prime minister must have the confidence of the assembly
French senators are elected through indirect universal suffrage
Their electorate approx- 150,000 officials is composed of city councillors, regional councillors, department councillors, mayors and deputies
90 percent of them are delegates appointed by municipal councils
