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Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > International relations > International institutions
The European Union clearly matters for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). EU officials and European political entrepreneurs has been crucial in the promotion of funding and access opportunities, but they have been proven to have little capacity to use CSOs for their own purposes.
This book explores the structural tensions and conflicts that arise with the abolition of border controls between the EU's member states and how this conflict ridden relationship affects and is affected by the institutional shape of the EU's external borders.
Explores the paths of development unfolding from the inter-dependent histories of postwar Germany and the European integration process. The contributors explore these histories within the idea of 'semi-sovereignty': a set of constraints on the German state's power within the external constraints of Germany's multilateral commitments.
A Chronology of European Security and Defence 1945-2006 is a unique and authoritative source of reference for all those with an interest in European defense and security over the last 60 years. An extensively annotated chronology, the book offers a blow-by-blow account of the events that have shaped the Europe of today. The book carefully places each event in context, explaining what happened, where, when, and why. Month-by-month, year-by-year Europe's recent past is laid out and explained. With its accessible layout, rich detail, and balanced analysis, the book will be essential reading and reference for scholars, students, policy-makers and policy-analysts alike.
An exploration of how the EU is influenced by multilateral institutions. There has recently been a dramatic increase in interaction between the EU and multilateral institutions. This book shows that international institutions shape EU policies, as well as acting as a source of preferences and strategies for EU stances internationally.
The aim of this study is to examine the extent to which the end of the Cold War led to Europeanisation in the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The analysis takes into consideration previous studies on Europeanisation and its impact on the transformation of national security and defence, and attempts to account for the development of Europeanisation and related mechanisms. These mechanisms, which have been described as framing mechanisms and negative integration, incorporate all the major relevant factors identified here (i.e. a common Strategic Culture, new security identity, domestic political decision-making, industrial base and defence-spending decline) that contributed to the realisation of the CSDP. The relevance of these factors for CSDP Europeanisation is examined through an historical and empirical analysis, and the relationship between the CSDP and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is also explored. This approach facilitates analysis of the debate concerning the emergence of the CSDP and throws light on the political shift that led European Union (EU) leaders to support the CSDP. Another aspect of this study is the empirical examination of the dynamics and limitations of the European defence sector. The changes which took place in this sector facilitated the emergence of the CSDP and are therefore analysed in the light of globalisation issues, economies of scale, economic crises, military autonomy, new security strategy and Research and Development (R&D) impact. This book will be of interest to students of European security, EU politics, defence studies and International Relations.
The EU today is at a crossroads: either it becomes a great supranational union or it goes back to being an array of separate independent states. Alberto Martinelli and Alessandro Cavalli draw a grand fresco of the society in which the European Union is taking shape. Long-term social and cultural trends and main current developments in economics and politics are synthetically outlined. Key questions of identity and nationalism, immigration and inequality, welfare and economic governance, are thoroughly analysed. Main cleavages, conflicts of interest and different visions of member states, as well as institutional reforms and crisis management strategies are critically discussed. A detailed proposal for advancing the process of political integration concludes the volume.
This book is based on fresh and original research with 50 EU business associations and 150 of their members, drawing on literature from a wide range of disciplines, and presents some highly original synthesis. It assesses the effectiveness of EU business associations and their potential to bring value to the EU policy-making process and to their members, and lends a methodology by which they can be evaluated.The book bocates and assesses factors in the environment of EU business associations that influence their 'governabliity,' that is their ability to unify their members' intersts and to ensure they work together for the sam purpose. It then examines variation in the governability of EU business associations. From this, the reader will be able to understand the prospect for, and limitations on, the effectiveness of EU business associations, why they vary in their capacities and performance, and why they vary in their ability to bring value to their members and to the EU policy-making process.
Recent controversies in NATO have caused observers to question the
Alliance's "raison d'etre." They generally contend that NATO's
crisis has gone from bad to worse and that the Alliance is
ill-adapted to the era of international terrorism, but this
assessment is inaccurate. NATO leaders have, in fact, become better
at shaping NATO to the strategic environment following a severe
crisis in the mid-1990s. At that time, the allies were trying to
turn NATO into something it could not be; at present, the allies
are on target in their efforts to adapt NATO. "NATO Renewed" is the
story of why NATO's problems are manageable and why the Atlantic
Alliance likely will continue to have both power and purpose.
Poland is one of Europe's economic out-performers. The country's history and geography encourage it to be in favour of deeper European integration. This book aims to contribute to discussions on the future shape of EMU and the next steps ahead.
In light of Europe's prolonged state of crisis, this book reassesses the challenges and prospects of the European integration process. Scholars from diverse disciplines reflect on various types of integration by analyzing political, economic and sociological variables, while also taking legal and cultural constraints into account. Readers will learn about the dilemmas and challenges of the European transformation process as well as political reforms to overcome these challenges. The book is divided into four parts, the first of which discusses the external dimension of the European Union, including a review of development aid policies and EU foreign policy. In turn, the second part focuses on institutional change and asymmetrical integration in the EU. The third part is devoted to the rise of populism and nationalism, including an analysis of the role of civil society organizations in the Brexit. In closing, the last part highlights the crisis of the Euro as a symbol of European integration and the emerging social and economic divide between countries of the North and South.
This book provides an original and wide-ranging analysis of the impact of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) on economic governance in the EU and in several key Member States within and outside the Euro area. Its emphasis is on adaptation: how EMU encourages change in national and EU institutions and in national economic regimes. It brings together economic, political science and legal perspectives to explain how national economies adapted, the dynamics of policy-making and the complex web of laws, processes and actors in the EMU.
When the United Nations sanctions a humanitarian relief operation, how can the numerous and diverse UN, Non-Governmental Organizations and military elements be coordinated? What are the practical, political and institutional considerations and impediments? What can be learned from previous experience? This is a volume of practitioner perspectives: the views of distinguished individuals from all of the concerned professions, including former Special Representatives of the Secretary-General and Force Commanders, as well as senior UN officials and representatives of the NGO community.
<I>Ideology and International Economy</I> is the first major study of the intellectual and institutional forces which combined to undermine the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates. In two decades, Milton Friedman's "case for flexible exchange rates" was transformed from a minority academic viewpoint to the operational framework for the international monetary system. In the process, the International Monetary Fund was defeated, sidelined and in danger of becoming an irrelevant organization.
Small States in and outside the European Union offers a broad overview of the small states problematic in Europe. It touches upon definition issues, history, security policy, neutrality, EU institutional aspects and also includes contributors from Central and Eastern European countries. It presents a thorough analysis of different scenarios for EU institutional reform and their repercussions on the influence of small member states. The comparative results are visualized in tables. The work contains several contributions from practitioners who give insight into policy games and issues of national sensitivity not usually covered by purely scholarly publications. The European environment has changed dramatically through the processes of regional integration and rising interdependence. Relations between European states both inside and outside the EU are governed as never before by rules, norms, and fixed procedures. The book investigates the consequences of these developments on the foreign and security policy of small states. Academics and professionals from Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland, as well as from the European Commission and the Council of Ministers, elaborate on these issues. Institutional regulations and traditional power politics as well as the foreign and security policy traditions of the states concerned, including the question of neutrality, are investigated. In addition, the book identifies the main interests of small states in today's Europe and offers an overview of different strategies these states apply in the realm of foreign and security policy. The book is interesting for the case studies it offers as well as for the reflections it contains regarding fundamental questions of the essence of statehood in today's Europe.
In the wake of the Great Recession, Europe's economy has stagnated to a considerable degree-greater even than that of the United States. Forecasts suggest an abysmal annual growth rate of about one percent over the next five years, and it now appears that Europe's enviable structural features, that is, their superior social safety net, leading educational facilities, and outstanding infrastructure will be in jeopardy if higher levels of growth cannot be achieved in the mid- to long-term. Several European countries have sought to stimulate growth through monetary or fiscal means, but in the view of some economists, this focus on the demand side ignores the need to address supply issues. In Europe's Growth Challenge, Anders Aslund and Simeon Djankov show how countries in Central and Eastern Europe have recently adopted economic policies that could prove useful in expanding business and economic activity in Western and Southern Europe. These include reducing the financial role of the state, adjusting tax systems, improving the environment for startups, and easing controls over labor markets and migration policies. The Netherlands, they note, has already introduced humane pension reforms that could be adopted more broadly on the continent. The authors also outline how sectoral changes in the service market, high-tech development, and energy markets, more successfully pursued in the U.S., could profit many European countries. Authors Anders Aslund and Simeon Djankov conclude with a call for crucial continental institutional reforms at the European Commission of the European Union, the European Parliament, and the European Council of Ministers. If enacted, this bold program may be just what is needed to reinvigorate the slumping European economy.
The experience of one region over 25 years within the European Union forms the basis of an examination of how the EU impacts on a region's economy, on its society and on its own particular problems. In the case of Northern Ireland, inclusion in the European Union has coincided with the most sustained campaign of political terrorism in western Europe. Specialist contributors to this book consider what difference the European dimension has made to the region over the quarter century since 1973.
This volume centres on the issues surrounding the likely economic impact that EU membership has on joining nations, with the main emphasis on new issues and methods. Given the significantly greater level of economic integration that now exists in the EU, accession brings up a host of issues that either did not arise or were of secondary importance during earlier enlargement waves. For instance, EU membership now entails eventual membership in the monetary union. This raises a series of new issues such as interest rate convergence, exchange rate stability and the loss of sovereignty over monetary policy. Additionally, these macro issues interact with micro issues such as export performance, capital formation and foreign direct investment (FDI). Migration, unemployment and foreign direct investment are further issues that acquire a magnified importance for the prospective entrants. All of these questions are treated in the contributions in Economic Impact of EU Membership on Entrants: New Methods and Issues that should be of particular interest to academics as well as decisionmakers in prospective member countries. Richard E. Baldwin worked for the Institute of International Studies. He was a Senior Staff Economist for the President's Council of Economic Advisors in the Bush Administration (1990-1991) and has advised the European Commission on several integration issues. He has also worked in the past for the European Commission, EFTA, the OECD, the FCO, the World Bank, USAID and UNCTAD. From 1991 to 2001 he was Co-Director of the International Trade Programme of the Centre for Economic Policy Research. His areas of specialisations are international trade, regional integration, andeconomic geography. Before coming to Geneva in May 1991, he was a professor at Columbia University Business School, having done his PhD in economics at MIT, an MSc at LSE, and a first degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Aymo Brunetti is Head of Economic Analysis in the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Switzerland. In addition, he is Professor of Economics at the University of Basel and teaches at the University of Bern, Switzerland.
The first study in English on the subject, this volume explores the challenges facing Switzerland as the European Community (EC) moves toward the 1992 goal of a Europe without economic borders. The primary question addressed by the author is whether or not Switzerland can ultimately avoid becoming a full-fledged member of the EC. Rene Schwok fully explores the alternatives open to Switzerland, including marginalization and a Third Way between membership and marginalization, comparing the benefits and risks presented by each option. He examines the political and economic implications of full membership within the EC and analyzes Community rules and laws that are particularly relevant to Switzerland. Throughout, Schwok is careful to present a multifaceted approach which reflects both the economic and political issues confronted by Switzerland as the country struggles to reach a policy consensus regarding the EC. Schwok begins by exposing the source of Switzerland's current problem--the acceleration of the community integration process. He then analyzes the EC's attitude toward Switzerland and evaluates the role played by the European Free Trade Association, paying special attention to efforts to establish a European Economic Space. By comparing the situation of Austria--which has exhibited much more interest in becoming a member of the EC--with that of Switzerland, Schwok sheds new light on Switzerland's reluctance to join. In discussing the effects of the European Internal Market on Switzerland, Schwok reveals the risks of marginalization should Switzerland decide not to join. He goes on to examine the Swiss government's proposed third option, analyzing both its prospects for success and its implications for the Swiss population. Finally, Schwok treats the long-term consequences of this option, asking whether it will allow sufficient proximity to the Internal Market to enable Switzerland to avoid membership or, on the contrary, serve only to pave the way for eventual membership in the EC. Students of international relations and European economics will find Schwok's work a well-reasoned and comprehensive study of Switzerland's choices as Europe approaches 1992.
At a time when the European Union is further expanding and
countries such as Turkey are being accepted for eventual
membership, the question of what is meant by a unified Europe and
how that might be achieved has never been more pressing. Europe is
more than a system of rules and political institutions that
regulate European citizenship: it is also a space of political
traditions, political experiences and cultural memories. Can
political integration ever be realised without an understanding and
acceptance of the complexity of the political cultures that make up
Europe ? In this important volume, well known European scholars
from a diversity of backgrounds explore the issues that must be
addressed if the challenge of an integrated Europe is to be
successfully met.
Written by a team of leading experts, "The Palgrave Review of British Politics 2006" provides up-to-date coverage of developments in British government and politics. An indispensable reference book, it covers the entire political year and includes chapters on the constitution, government and administration, the law, Parliament, public policy, devolution, foreign policy, relations with the EU, local government, elections and public opinion, the party system, pressure politics, the media and democracy, plus a statistical appendix.
During the transition to democracy, states have used various mechanisms to address previous human rights abuses including domestic trials, truth and reconciliation commissions and internationalized tribunals. This volume analyzes the transitional justice choices made by four countries: Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH), Sierra Leone and East Timor. For each country, there is a chapter which provides a historical overview concerning the causes of the conflict and two subsequent chapters which highlight a different method of transitional justice implemented. The volume highlights the opportunities and the constraints faced by states and the international community to provide accountability for human rights violations.
Difficult questions concerning the internal and external frontiers of the EU have emerged since the changes in the European political landscape after 1989. Dismantling controls at the frontiers between member states envisaged by the Single European Act and 'Europe 1992' has encountered difficulties and complications. An increase in the geographical extent of the Union, with the inclusion of Austria, Finland and Sweden, and the possible location of the external frontier further to the East have added to uncertainties about the future direction of the EU. Managing the external frontier has become increasingly complex. This volume analyses the cultural, political and legal consequences of dismantling controls at the internal frontiers and of measures to harden the external frontier. Among the central issues considered are the progress towards a European identity and changes in political identities within the EU, the extent to which the internal frontiers have become different in kind from the external frontiers, and the varying ways in which frontier issues are posed in different parts of the Union. These issues will profoundly influence the development of the European polity.
World politics has been surprised recently by two sudden developments. The first took place around the beginning of 2007, when the question of global warming rose abruptly to the top of the agenda, after having been a factor in the background. The second occurred in the autumn of 2008, when the rules for a global economy started inspiring great anxiety, after having been regarded as a source of stability. These two shifts took place independently, but their consequences will require common management. The regulatory structure underlying the world's economic, legal, and political systems needs to be revised. This presents the EU with the greatest challenge it has ever faced. The point is that this global challenge comes on top of the pr- lems already posed by markets, welfare states, security, energy, and movements of population. The additional challenge is furthermore of such a kind that a deeper discussion of the very structure of the Union is difficult to avoid.
This collection presents the results of a research agenda which examines how information plays a key role in policymaking. As a very dynamic environment characterised by many different modes of information gathering and processing, the EU forms a particularly interesting case to test the politics of information approach. |
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