Demystifying the European Union

The Enduring Logic of Regional Integration

By (author) Roy H. Ginsberg Skidmore College

Publication date:

15 April 2010

Length of book:

422 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Dimensions:

266x184mm
7x10"

ISBN-13: 9780742566910

Written by one of the premier scholars on the European Union and hailed as the best undergraduate text on the subject, this book has been thoroughly revised and updated to include the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty. Clear and comprehensive, it "demystifies" one of the world's most important and least understood institutions. Roy H. Ginsberg contextualizes European integration through the foundation blocks of history, law, economics, and politics. He then breaks the EU down into its components so that they can be understood individually and in relation to the whole. Reconstructing the EU as a single polity, Ginsberg evaluates the EU's domestic and foreign policies and their effects on Europeans and non-Europeans alike. The author thus challenges students to see what the European Union truly represents: a unique experiment in regional cooperation and a remarkable model of conflict resolution for the world's troubled regions.

Introduction
Part I: Foundations
Chapter 1: Unity and Disunity
Chapter 2: Theory and Practice of Modern European Integration
Chapter 3: The Economic and Legal Foundations of the European Community
Part II: The European Union in Practice
Chapter 4: The Contexts and Actors of EU Governmental Decisionmaking
Chapter 5: Inside EU Governmental Decisionmaking
Chapter 6: The Outputs of EU Governmental Decisionmaking
Chapter 7: European Union Foreign Policy
Part III: Evaluating European Integration
Chapter 8: The Internal Dimension of European Integration
Chapter 9: The External Dimension of European Integration
Chapter 10: Conclusions

Currently, the EU is confronted with dramatic financial challenges testing the endurance of its foundations. While some may question the prospects of a stable EU and even foresee disintegration, the logic underpinning its regional integration endures. Ginsberg offers a comprehensive overview of the EU along with a wealth of informative charts and tables as well as thought-provoking study questions that ultimately underscore the enduring logic of regional integration in this easily accessible, detailed-oriented second edition of a textbook designed for students taking courses on European integration. Bound by shared geography, history, religions, economy, and civilization, the EU is not an accident of history but a history of dialectical unity and disunity. Accordingly, the comprehensive overview begins with a historical perspective of the EU that spans 2,000 years and then turns to the political thought and political theory associated with European integration. In addition to examining the legal and economic foundations of the EU, the volume, from a policy-making perspective, continues with a detailed explanation of the decision-making processes and the relevant political institutions and concludes with a discussion and assessment of policy outcomes. Recommended.