Course: Geography of Public Administration

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Course title Geography of Public Administration
Course code KGG/KGVS
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Lesson
Level of course unspecified
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter
Number of ECTS credits 4
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course unspecified
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Klapka Pavel, doc. Mgr. Ph.D.
  • Daniel Jan, Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
The course is divided into six thematic units: 1. Public administration: basic terms and principles 2. The geography of public administration 3. The history of public administration in the Czech lands 4. The present administrative division 5. State administration and self-government 6. Current issues and prospects of public administration In seminars, students work on assigned tasks in which they apply the subject matter to specific examples and to current issues of public administration. The course is supported by a distance learning support text in the Moodle environment.

Learning activities and teaching methods
Lecture, Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Work with Text (with Book, Textbook), Projection (static, dynamic), Activating (Simulations, Games, Dramatization)
  • Attendace - 26 hours per semester
  • Homework for Teaching - 34 hours per semester
  • Preparation for the Course Credit - 30 hours per semester
  • Preparation for the Exam - 30 hours per semester
Learning outcomes
The aim of the course is to introduce students to the system of public administration in the Czech Republic and to the geographical aspects of its territorial organisation. The course presents the basic terms and principles of public administration, the development of the administrative division of the Czech lands, its present form, and the position of state administration and self-government. The course also leads students to think critically about the functioning of public administration, to assess its strengths and weaknesses, and to situate them in the broader context.
Upon successful completion of the course, the student: - explains the basic terms, principles and functioning of the system of public administration in the Czech Republic; - assesses the territorial organisation of public administration from a geographical perspective; - critically evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of a specific arrangement or reform proposal and situates them in a broader context.
Prerequisites
Knowledge covered by the compulsory courses preceding this course in the curriculum.

Assessment methods and criteria
Oral exam, Seminar Work

Successful completion of the course requires active participation in seminars and passing the examination. The course credit is awarded for active participation in seminars and for the completion of the assigned tasks. The examination assesses knowledge of the terms, principles and functioning of the system of public administration in the Czech Republic as well as the ability to assess its territorial organisation from a geographical perspective.
Recommended literature
  • Balík, S., Špaček, D. (Eds.). Fragmented local government systems and crises: Experiences from Czechia. 2025.
  • Hendrych, D. a. kol. (2003). Správní právo, Obecná část.. Praha.
  • Hledíková, J. a kol. (2007). Dějiny správy v českých zemích od počátků státu po současnost.. Praha.
  • Ježek, J., Malast, J., Kopecký, M., & Kaňka, L. (2015). Spolupráce obcí a měst: České a evropské přístupy ke slučování obcí a meziobecní spolupráci. Plzeň.
  • Koudelka, Z. (2007). Samospráva. Praha.
  • Loughlin, J., Hendriks, F., & Lidström, A. (Eds.). (2011). The Oxford handbook of local and regional democracy in Europe. Oxford.
  • Ochrana, F., Půček, M. J., Špaček, M. (2015). Veřejná správa. Brno.
  • Swianiewicz, P., Gendźwiłł, A., Houlberg, K., & Klausen, J. E. Municipal territorial reforms of the 21st century in Europe. 2022.
  • Swianiewicz, P. If territorial fragmentation is a problem, is amalgamation a solution? Ten years later. , 2018.


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