GOVT E-1155 Irish Politics 1916-2018: From Colonialism to the Celtic Tiger and Beyond
This study of Ireland addresses such critical issues as the legacies of colonialism and civil war, nationalism, democratization, Church and State relations, the Northern Ireland Troubles and Brexit, and the European Union. While the course focuses on the Republic of Ireland, it adopts a broad comparative perspective, situating the country both within the wider global context and within the political science literature. What explains Ireland's distinctive political trajectory and how does it compare to other European nations? How should we understand the Celtic Tiger, the rapid series of social, economic and political transformations that have occurred within Ireland since the 1990s? This course explores these questions by studying the political actors and institutional settings of Irish politics, the nature of political influence and the shaping of political priorities, and the forces that shape policy outcomes.