Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
| Master in political sciences : general (120 ECTS) (Odd years, organized in 2023-2024) | 5 crédits | |||
| Master in political sciences : general (60 ECTS) (Odd years, organized in 2023-2024) | 5 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The part "Politique des collectivités locales" invites the students to analyse the power relations between local political actors on the basis of different degrees of legal constraint.
To this end, this part focuses exclusively on the political bodies of the municipality (Municipal Council, Municipal College and Mayor) as well as on the general management. The analysis of power relations is based on case studies: the replacement of a local councillor, the voting of constructive motions of no confidence (individual and collective), post-electoral litigation and the appointment and evaluation of a director general.
The case studies are systematically based on judgments of the Council of State or other jurisdictions, depending on the subject matter. The students are thus invited to analyse these rulings with regard to the power relations they structure and the constraints they place on municipal political life.
The section on 'Local public finance law' invites students to analyse the power relations at play in the preparation, implementation and control of the budget and accounts of local authorities, particularly municipalities.
These procedures are at the crossroads of political objectives, a legal and economic framework and accounting tools. As a result, each session requires the mastery and mobilisation of reasoning and instruments stemming from political, administrative, legal and accounting sciences.
To shed light on the main aspects of the subject, this part is divided into four sessions on the following themes: the legal, economic and accounting framework; revenues; expenditure and the funding of local civil servants' retirement schemes.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
At the end of the "Politique des collectivités locales" section, students will be able to:
- Become familiar with and understand in detail the judgments of the Council of State;
- Analyse the power relations structured by these rulings;
- Categorise the different degrees of legal constraints on local political actors;
- Develop critical thinking about communal politics.
At the end of the section on "Local public finance law", students will be able to:
- Read and understand a municipal budget in detail;
- Analyse the power relationships that these budgets structure;
- Detail the legal framework governing the management of local public finances;
- Explain the main challenges associated with local public finance;
- Develop a critical approach to local public finance.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Students must have completed the Droit constitutionnel course.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The learning activities consist of flipped classes. For each class session, students are asked to prepare and present (for 45 minutes) one or more case studies based on the activity sheet distributed during the course presentation. At the end of each presentation, the other students must ask questions of the students who have presented one or more case studies.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Additional information:
The course is given face-to-face and takes the form of in-depth discussions on the case studies presented by the students. Attendance is compulsory. Any absence is sanctioned by the withdrawal of one point per day of absence.
Recommended or required readings
For the "Politique des collectivités locales" section, students must read the Summary and Provisional Notes, which include the judgments of the Council of State, before each class session, based on the agenda detailed in the activity sheet.
Bauwens Antoine et Aerts Vincent (sous la responsabilité de Grandjean Geoffrey), Droit et politique des collectivités locales, Liège, Presses Universitaires de Liège, 2021, 390 p., disponible à l'adresse suivante : http://hdl.handle.net/2268/262781.
For the section on 'Local public finance law', students must consult the documentation available on eCampus before each lesson, based on the timetable detailed in the activity sheet.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
Additional information:
The continuous assessment is certificate-based. In other words, students are assessed on the basis of 1) their presentation and analysis of the case studies/themes and 2) their participation in the case study/themes discussions.
The following criteria are used to assess the students: 1) the completeness of the presentation of the case studies/themes, 2) the ability to explain the case studies/themes, 3) in a structured way, 4) the ability to identify the legal and political issues of the case studies/themes and 5) the ability to critically assess the case studies/themes presented.
There is no exam in January.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
For the "Politique des collectivités locales" part, the course sessions will be held on the following dates: 22 September (course presentation), 29 September, 6 October, 13 October and 20 October. Classes run from 8am to 11am. Students are asked to arrive on time. A compulsory introductory session will be held on 22 September from 9am to 10am.
For the section on "Local public finance law", lessons will be held on the following dates: 22 September (course presentation), 13 November, 20 November, 27 November and 11 December. Sessions are held from 3pm to 6pm. Exceptionally, the session on 27 November will run from 10am to 1pm. Students are asked to arrive on time.
Contacts
Vincent Aerts, Assistant à l'Université de Liège
Vincent.Aerts@uliege.be
Pr. Dr Geoffrey Grandjean, Professeur à l'Université de Liège
Geoffrey.Grandjean@uliege.be
Hugo Frères, Assistant à l'Université de Liège
hugo.freres@crac.wallonie.be
Pr. Dr Damien Piron, Chargé de cours à l'Université de Liège
damien.piron@uliege.be