Handbook Of European Union Politics

Description:
'This handbook is an admirably comprehensive source book for those interested in how the tools of political science inspire EU area studies. The editors enlist leading researchers to synthesize the state of the art in their field of expertise. The Handbook of European Union Politics will be an indispensable intellectual resource for researchers, teachers, and graduate students of the European Union' - Liesbet Hooghe, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA 'The Handbook presents an excellent overview of political science research on the EU. It finds the right balance between establishing the state of the art and pointing the reader to theoretical diversity. Highly recommended for advanced students and scholars looking for quick and solid orientation in a fragmented field - and for new ideas for research' - Frank Schimmelfennig, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 'This is a milestone in the study of EU politics.The authors include the most knowledgeable practitioners in the field, and collectively they provide a comprehensive and highly competent overview of the state of theory and research on EU institutions, politics and policies' -Fritz Scharpf, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, Germany 'This volume is one to which anyone trying to make sense of the EU of the early 21st century will return again and again. A terrific line-up that combines diverse talents from North America and Europe. Few books of this kind could live up to the billing 'definitive benchmark', but this one certainly does' - John Peterson, University of Edinburgh The European Union (EU) poses quite profound questions for scholars and students of the social and political sciences. This benchmark handbook is designed to: - provide an authoritative state-of-the art guide to the scope of the field suitable for both established scholars and students of the EU - reflect and contribute to the debates about the nature of the field of EU studies and EU politics in particular - explore in detail the development of the many approaches to the study of EU politics.Divided into four sections, the Handbook focuses on theorizing European integration; the EU as polity; politics and policy making in the EU; and the EU and the international system. Its appeal will reside not only in its comprehensive and authoritative coverage of the field, but also in the quality of its contributors, and the diversity of theoretical and methodological approaches included. The resulting volume is a 'must have' for all scholars and advanced students of the EU and European integration.

Review:
Overall, the Handbook of European Union Politics is a most useful book that can be highly recommended. A strong analytical framework coupled with unparalleled coverage of the major issues of the political science research of the EU makes this volume a formidable tool for teaching and a significant input to new scholarly research. It is both relatively sophisticated and very accessible to graduate students and advanced researchers. The clear writing style and the richness of information presented will certainly make this book interesting for non-academic readers. IGOR VIDACAK Institute for International Relations, Zagreb

Table of Contents:
PART ONE: PROCESS: THEORIZING EUROPEAN INTEGRATION Overview - Ben Rosamond An Intellectual History of EU Studies Rationalist Approaches to European Integration - Mark A Pollack Constructivist Approaches to European Integration - Jeffrey Checkel Critical Approaches - Ian Manners Historical, Legal, Economic and Sociological Perspectives on EU Politics - Alan S Milward, Ramses Wessel, Adrian Favell, Patrick Crowley and David Mayes PART TWO: THE EU AS POLITY Overview - Simon Hix The EU as a Polity (I) Overview - Markus Jachtenfuchs The EU as a Polity (II) Legislative Politics - Gail McElroy Executive Politics - Jonas Tallberg Judicial Politics - Lisa Conant Organized Interests in the European Union - Jeremy Richardson Political Parties in the European Union - Tapio Raunio Political Communication, Political Socialization, and Public Opinion - Leonard Ray Constitutional Politics - Dario Castiglione and Justus Schoenlau The EU and Comparative Federalism - Kalypso Nicolaidis and R. Daniel Kelemen Political Theory - Andreas Follesdal Philosophy and EU Politics PART THREE: POLITICS AND POLICY-MAKING IN THE EU Overview - Helen Wallace and William Wallace The European Union, Politics, and Policy-Making The Study of Fiscal and Monetary Policy - Mark Hallerberg The Politics of Regulation and the Internal Market - Alasdair Young The Politics of Redistribution - Ian Bache Green Politics and Environmental Policy - Andrea Lenschow Gender - Elizabeth Prugl The Politics of EU Domestic Order - Andrew Geddes (3rd Pillar business) New Forms of Governance in the European Union - Martin Rhodes and Manuele Citi The EU and Domestic Politics - Tanja Borzel and Thomas Risse From Implementation to Europeanization PART FOUR: THE EU AND THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM Overview - Knud Erik Jorgensen The Union as a Global Actor The Union and International Political Economy - Michael Smith Trade, Aid, and Monetary Policy European Foreign Policy - Walter Carlsnaes The 'European and Universal Process'? - Alex Warleigh The EU, Comparative Regionalism and Global Governance