Politics of the European Union: Literature Review

government of the europiuman totality Literature ReviewNugent, N. (2003) The Government and Politics of the European fraternity, Palgrave.Nugent offers an depth psychology of the European Union in a historic context. He cont give the sacks that galore(postnominal) of the problems that sceptics hunt to rely upon as criticism for EU elementship were, in themselves, already present before the consolidation of the EU compriseu all toldy occurred. nigh critics assume that the EU has signifi apprizetly wear away and dis spotd the sovereignty of put forwards. Nugent, however, posits that this occurred much earlier, and that consolidation into the EU cannot solely constitute the basis for erosion of sovereignty in nation-states. He suggests, in a historic summary, that the ingredient states of the EU were visual perception their sovereignties universe steadily eroded long before the EC / EU was established (1), and the rest of the hold is informed by this view. He argues that the EU plays only a minor role in eroding state sovereignty, as broader economic factors such as movements in financial markets, worldwide corporations and the general side-effects of dominance by the U.S. tend toward this model. In fact, Nugent suggests that the EU whitethorn in fact help to preserve autonomy in some ways because it provides a voice, albeit one marred by bureaucracy and corruption, that can compete economically with America and the emergent China.Nugent looks at the question of the EU in a historical way. He provides a historical analysis of state relations prior to the instigation of the EU. In this analysis, he insinuates that, fleck prior to the war states were notably to a greater extent different in economic, cultural and in governmental ways, the period after the war signalled a world-shattering shift in the ways the European states tended to interact. The consolidation of the EU was thusly defined by these factors, and present criticisms about t he overwhelming bureaucracies that operate in Brussels merely represent something that is necessary.Bache, I George S (2006) The Politics of the European Union, second Ed., Oxford University PressThe Politics of the European Union provides a exposit and comprehensive overview of the operative and dynamic summonses that determine how the EU functions from day to day. dapple some historical analysis is supplied, the focus is withal focussed upon true key issues in government. The book is split into five discrete sections. The initial section looks at the theories of European consolidation, and essentially provides the background as to wherefore European integration should (or shouldnt) happen, dependent upon a number of different views. It also looks at how the European Union should be organised ground upon these theories, and looks at ways in which the European Union should go in the upcoming if it is to be adherent to these particular theories. Part two looks at the expl anation of the European Union, and upon how certain(prenominal) developments in European politics led to the integration of the EU. Part three provides an atomised look at the mingled member states of the EU, with a particular focus upon Germany, France and Britain. Although other member states argon mentioned in a brief chapter, the absence of analyses of other epoch-making countries in the EU, and more exposit analysis of eastern European, Spanish and Scandanavian member states gives the book a certain biases toward the previous three countries. Part four provides an interesting analysis of how the various institutions of the European Union operate, with a focus upon the nuts and bolts of the day to day functioning of polity change and murder, rather than more expatiateed historical analysis. Finally, Part 5 looks at how the EU has implemented certain policies and why, ranging from its policies on agriculture, on the single market, on the monetary union and on immaterial relations. Overall, the book provides a good textbook overview of the basic functioning, purpose, and theory merchantman the EU.Bomberg, E Stubb A. (2003), The European Union How Does it Work?, Oxford University PressAgain, The European Union How Does it Work? provides an interesting and detailed analysis of the various ways in which the European Union has come to be what it is, and also focuses upon the institutional, theoretical and historical factors that cave in determined how and why it operates. The book is organised in a similar way to the previous book, insofar as it focuses first upon the historical and theoretical basis for European Integration, and then looks in more detail at the various policies that have been implemented, and the member states that act as players in the EU. Of particular importance is the analysis of how member states operate within the intricate framework of the EU. Bomberg and Stubb concentrate upon the confusedities of the EU, and try to ration alise the often overwhelmingly intricate issues at s register, using simple logical statements. They argue that, far from being an institution racked with bureaucracy which serves neither the interests of the EU nor the interests of individual states, that the mechanisms and institutions in place create a serial publication of checks and balances that allow the opinion of every participant state and governmental parties that operate within these states to function more appropriately. They argue that What emerge as national interests from domestic formations of preference formation stay on central to how the EU works, and also suggest that what is implemented formally is also bear upon by considerable and sophisticated horizontal networking poop the scenes. This tendency to look at the actual, rather than the theoretical or institutional realities of the EU is a strength of this book, however, this intrinsically makes the project of the book more ambiguous and difficult to pin point. Rather than providing a retentive overview of the surfaces of the European Union, the book delves into the complexities and the awkward issues that inform and orient decisions surrounding policy, power and practice.Describe how Politics comes into the Process of European integrationThe process of European integration is a very complex one, and if a nation state chooses to integrate itself into the complex policy-making arena of the European Union, one has to consider the effects that this leave have upon the given state internally, and externally. In essence, the integration of European states manner that a given state will take its interests from the domestic appear and into the European Union. As Bomberg and Stubb (2003, p. 70) comment, once a state joins the Union, politics whitethorn begin at home but no longer end there. National politics, polities, and policies become Europeanized. As such, the externalisation of internal quandaries that, previously were a matter for the sovereign state, now have to be considered as an integral, institutional and political whole. While Nugent argues in The Government and Politics of the European Union that sovereignty was being eroded anyway before the processes of European integration took place, the political processes that operated within nation states to deal with problems concerned with world-wideisation were not. A political climate emerges in the process of European integration as a result of conflicting or combined interests that interweave. Such issues as the integration into the single market, the single European currency, and agricultural policy aimled to hold the overt exploitation of free markets and the production of substandard goods.The question of ecesis is also a complex political one regarding the EU, and the question of who governs shines let down upon how politics tends to function and become a part of the process of European integration. The policy process of the EU is extraordinar y in international political affairs, because it is not governed by a central body, moreover, it is governed by a series of nation states Stubb and Bomberg (2003, p. 148) comment that No state or other international organization makes policies done such a complex, transnational process in which politicians, officials, and interested groups from across a continent interact to shape sometimes to prevent shared policy outcomes. As such, politics becomes intertwined into European integration because of the melange of interests that operate under the umbrella of state, governmental, or political interest. Because no state, political or official group is in overall fake of the policy making process, politics is essentially a part of European integration because it is via the institutions and the backroom political wrangling that the European Union makes its overall policy and political decisions.The political process in Europe enters the system through a variety of means. While supra national organisations tend to confirm political issues, it is often left to the member states and elected representatives of these states to conduct policy based upon how they would like political developments to proceed. The EU is an example of networked governance, and the ways in which the member states, individuals, pres convinced(predicate) groups and other officials interact in the EU act to determine overall political policy. While a coherent political policy based upon the interests of these states tends to be cumbersome and bureaucratic, this is how politics tends to become instigated into the process of European integration. By becoming a member of the European Union, states have to recognise that their own sovereignty has been reduced by a political process that operates within a more European context.What are the challenges cladding European integration today?The EU faces a number of epochal challenges as it changes to adapt to new economic, political and supranationa l factors that determine and sure its efficacy as a political institution. Firstly, the expansion of the EU poses significant challenges for both existent member states and those that are new to the European Union. For instance, the integration of Eastern European member states such as Poland and the Czech body politic have proven to be controversial issues, because both these countries have a significantly different economy than those that are currently established. The challenges that face the EU is to consider the political climate of these emergent countries period making sure that the interests of those states currently in the European Union are considered. The policy processes and changes that take place in the European context must juggle these interests, while remaining firm to previous trade policies. As such, in the speech communication of Bomberg and Stubb (p. 71), expansion and continued expansion into Eastern Europe and possibly dud and Cyprus, facilitates the impo rtance of tolerance within the European Unions institutional framework managing distinction is thus a key challenge to the Union.Secondly, the economic challenges facing the European Union on a global basis will doubtless prove to be extremely important, especially following the successful implementation of the Euro into economic affairs. The EU is a significant global player on the economic field, and trade with the emergent countries of China and India as well as with established superpowers such as America and Japan have to be considered very carefully if successful relations are to be established. The forepart of global care programmes and other benevolent factors such as an tardily mobilised team of peacekeepers is also an issue that is linked indirectly to processes of globalisation. The recent crisis in the Balkans was marred by the inability for the EU to make a coherent decision on troop assignment to the area. As such, issues of defence and help oneself may prove to be one of the central challenges facing the EU in the future.The relationship between the EU and the states outside of the EU may prove essential to determining a process whereby wait on or trade can be granted to developing countries in a system of combine change. The EUs response to global crises has been far from efficient in recent years, and changes in the dynamic of the EU, which includes its expansion into regions of Eastern and Central Europe have further exacerbated tensions on this issue. While the EU have always been relatively generous in the handsome of aid to other countries, the general trend posited in the WTO report is that the giving of aid is simply not enough to resolve problems on a global scale. Instead, the EU have to implement foreign trade more effectively into its policy, and, because of varying interests from its different participants, this may prove to be a stumbling dodge for more successful European integration. Lax spending programmes and bureau cracy concerning the giving of foreign aid may also hamper developments in the global context the Commission had far to go before it escaped charges that it was the whip development agency in the world (Bomberg Stubb 2003, p. 204).Does spill-over imply that there are no limits to the number of policies that can be dealt with at the European level?The concept of spill-over is defined as a process whereby the integration in one sphere of policy begets a residual impact in other spheres of policy, and creates a more generalised integrated series of policies in all areas of the European Union. For instance, the integration of agricultural policy in Europe tends to affect the internal policies of that sovereign state in ways that jibe it with other nation states. Naturally, this facilitates the integration process because it allows for discrepancies and disagreements between various regions, officials and member states to be ironed out more generally. As such, it can be argued that th is concept of spill-over allows for significantly greater integration to occur, and the gradual homogenization of European member states may provide a forum by which all member states operate on a very similar basis. Therefore, by this method, all policy decisions can be discussed in the European Union.However, this system of spill-over is not without its flaws or its criticisms. For instance, political processes in some powerful member states that feel directly affected or marginalised by processes in the European government may not succumb to the integrative factors of spill-over, and regional, geographical and political factors still require consideration. While domestic policy is further eroded by the concept of spill-over, some tenets of policy that impede upon concepts of sovereignty, or perchance indirectly attack or influence one particular region or nation-state operating within the framework of the European Union may disallow an invasive series of policy making decisions to be integrated into the European agenda. While a great many issues have been affected by the concept of spill-over, and the general process of unification that occurs as a result of spill-over into other policies on a European level tend toward a process of unification, some policies still remain too painful or regionalised to implement into European political processes.BibliographyBache, I. George, S. (2006), The Politics of the European Union, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press.Bomberg E. Stubb A., ed. (2005), The European Union How does it work?, Oxford University Press.Nugent, N. (2003), The Government and Politics of the European Union, Pelgrave.