subject

Populism Under Constraint: Viktor Orbns 2016 Refugee Quota Referendum and the Politics of Institutional Contestation in the European Union

it is very important to consentrate on the research “puzzle”

the main research question: How did Viktor Orbns government use the 2016 Hungarian referendum on EU refugee relocation quotas as a state-level policy instrument to contest supranational authority, and what does this reveal about the operation of populism in power within the European Union?

Paper Overview

Students must write a research paper analyzing a specific policy of a populist leadership in Europe or in the international arena (preferably from the last decade), based on the theoretical frameworks discussed in class.

Writing this paper requires independent research. Students may use empirical material drawn from newspapers, online sources, or social media, including statements or positions of political parties, governments, international organizations, and NGOs.

Students may also use course readings, academic books, and journal articles.

The paper must cite at least 20 sources within the text, and all cited works must appear in the bibliography.

Any citation style is acceptable, as long as sources are clearly identifiable.

Final Paper Submission

The paper must:

• Discuss the expected characteristics of the selected populist leadership
• Explain whether and how these characteristics are expressed in the chosen case
• Trace the process and explain why the case developed as it did
• Identify factors that influenced the outcome

Regarding the policy, emphasis may be placed on:

• How the policy is framed
• The policy-making process
• Decision-making
• Implementation
• Policy consequences

The analysis must be as focused as possible and should analyze specific discourse or concrete procedures.

General statements are insufficient; arguments must be tied to specific evidence.

Recommended Structure of the Paper

Introduction (approx. 10%)

• Present the topic
• Present the puzzle and rationale
• Present the research question
• Brief outline of the paper

Background (approx. 10%)

• Factual background on the selected actor
• Explanation of why the policy is important
• Relevant historical context

Theoretical Framework (approx. 10%)

• Explanation of the selected concepts/tools
• Justification for their relevance

Findings (approx. 50%)

• Detailed description of the policy
• Empirical evidence linking the actors actions to explanatory factors
• Explanation of logic behind processes
• Consideration of supporters, opponents, challenges, and constraints

Discussion and Conclusion (approx. 20%)

• Broader lessons from the case
• Implications for related cases
• Connection to course themes
• Suggestions for future research

SOURCES:

Peer-Reviewed Academic Sources (Secondary Literature)

1. Mudde, Cas. 2004. The Populist Zeitgeist. Government and Opposition 39(4): 541563.
2. Stanley, Ben. 2008. The Thin Ideology of Populism. Journal of Political Ideologies 13(1): 95110.
3. Mudde, Cas, and Cristbal Rovira Kaltwasser. 2012. Populism and (Liberal) Democracy. American Political Science Review 106(2): 122.
4. Mller, Jan-Werner. 2016. What Is Populism? Political Theory 44(4): 128.
5. Pappas, Takis S. 2019. Populists in Power. Journal of Democracy 30(2): 7084.
6. Enyedi, Zsolt. 2016. Paternalist Populism and Illiberal Elitism in Central Europe. Journal of Political Ideologies 21(1): 925.
7. Verbeek, Bertjan, and Andrej Zaslove. 2017. Populism and Foreign Policy. The International Spectator 52(4): 112.
8. Destradi, Sandra, and Johannes Plagemann. 2019. Populism and International Relations. Review of International Studies 45(5): 711730.
9. Chryssogelos, Angelos. 2017. Populism in Foreign Policy. Politics 37(4): 384397.
10. Batory, Agnes. 2016. Populists in Government? Hungarys System of National Cooperation. Democratization 23(2): 283303.
11. Kornai, Jnos. 2015. Hungarys U-Turn. Journal of Democracy 26(3): 3448.
12. Bogaards, Matthijs. 2018. De-democratization in Hungary. Democratization 25(8): 14811499.
13. Vachudova, Milada Anna. 2020. Ethnopopulism and Democratic Backsliding in Central Europe. East European Politics 36(3): 318340.
14. Huysmans, Jef. 2000. The European Union and the Securitization of Migration. Journal of Common Market Studies 38(5): 751777.
15. Bourbeau, Philippe. 2011. The Securitization of Migration. International Political Sociology 5(1): 120.
16. Schimmelfennig, Frank. 2018. European Integration (Theory) in Times of Crisis. Journal of European Public Policy 25(7): 969989.
17. Taggart, Paul, and Aleks Szczerbiak. 2018. Putting Brexit into Perspective. Journal of European Public Policy 25(8): 11941214.
18. Krek, Pter, and Zsolt Enyedi. 2018. Orbns Laboratory of Illiberalism. Journal of Democracy 29(3): 3951.
19. Enyedi, Zsolt. 2015. Plebeians, Citoyens and Aristocrats. Government and Opposition 50(2): 232252.
20. Pirro, Andrea L.P., Taggart, Paul & van Kessel, Stijn. 2018. The Populist Politics of Euroscepticism in Times of Crisis. Politics 38(3): 378390.

Primary Sources Speeches & Official Documents

1. Orbn, Viktor. 2016. Speech on the Hungarian National Day, 15 March 2016. Prime Ministers Office.
2. Orbn, Viktor. 2016. Speech at the 27th Blvnyos Summer Free University and Student Camp (Tusndfrd), July 23, 2016.
3. Orbn, Viktor. 2016. Parliamentary address announcing the referendum on EU migrant quotas. Hungarian National Assembly.
4. Orbn, Viktor. 2016. Statement following the referendum results, October 2, 2016. Prime Ministers Office.
5. Government of Hungary. 2016. Official wording of the referendum question on EU mandatory relocation quotas.