This book provides a detailed examination of the complex negotiation processes surrounding intergovernmental conferences in the European Union.

Since the Treaty of Amsterdam (1997) and its ?appendix?, the Treaty of Nice in 2002, any reform of the treaty framework of the European Union seems to be doomed to fail, evidenced by the decline of the Constitutional Treaty and by the current fate of the Lisbon treaty. By presenting an extensive quantitative study of the Intergovernmental Conference of 1996/7 prior to the Treaty of Amsterdam, the authors argue that these negotiations reveal the major challenges of European integration. Drawing on advanced statistical methods, they contend that multi-level negotiations require an appropriate coordination of informal administrative networks and the empowerment of administrative leadership, with these factors significantly shaping the dynamics and outcomes of negotiations. Through these findings, this book lays down the foundation for future evidence-based evaluations of negotiations and implementation studies, and delivers new insights on decision-making within the European Union.

European Union Intergovernmental Conferences will be of interest to students and researchers of political science, sociology, administrative science, business and management studies, international law and European law.

This book provides a detailed examination of the complex negotiation processes surrounding intergovernmental conferences in the European Union. Since the Treaty of Amsterdam (1997) and its 'appendix', the Treaty of Nice in 2002, any reform of the constitutional framework of the European Union experiences formidable difficulties. By presenting an extensive study of the Intergovernmental Conference of 1996/7 prior to the Treaty of Amsterdam, the authors argue that these negotiations reveal major challenges of European integration. They contend that multi-level negotiations require an appropriate coordination of informal administrative networks and the empowerment of administrative leadership, with these factors significantly shaping the dynamics and outcomes of negotiations. Through these findings, this book lays down the foundation for future evidence-based support and evaluation of multilateral negotiations, and delivers new insights on decision-making within the European Union. It draws on advanced statistical methods and network analysis. European Union Intergovernmental Conferences will be of interest to students and researchers of political science, sociology, administrative science, business and management studies, international law and European law.

The United States, Germany, and Japan - the world's three most powerful and successful free market societies - differ strikingly in how their governments relate to their economies. Comparing Policy Networks reports the results of collaborative research by three teams investigating the social organization and policymaking processes of national labor policy domains in the United States, Germany, and Japan during the 1980s. The researchers gathered information about policy goals, communication patterns, and political support connections from 350 key national organizations, including labor unions, business associations, public interest groups, government agencies, and political parties. These networks reveal similar conflict divisions between business and labor interests, but also distinctive patterns within each nation. Unique combinations of informal policy-making networks and the national political institutions may in part explain the differences in power structures and legislative decisions.

Wie unterscheidet sich die Bundesrepublik von anderen Landern auf der Ebene der Sozialstruktur, der Verhaltensweisen und Wertorientierungen? Welche Veranderungen haben sich in dieser Hinsicht in den letzten Jahren ereignet? Und welche Transformationsprozesse haben sich in den neuen Bundeslandern mit welchen Folgen vollzogen? Diese zentralen Fragen werden in diesem Band fur ausgewahlte Themenkomplexe auf der Grundlage neuer empirischer Studien behandelt."

Das Buch liefert eine erste umfassende Analyse der komplexen Wechselwirkungen des Wahlerverhaltens und der Parteistrategien im deutschen Mischwahlsystem. Nach einer ausfuhrlichen Einfuhrung in die raumliche Theorie des Parteienwettbewerbs wird das Zusammenspiel von Politiknachfrage der Wahler und Politikangebot der Parteien in der Mehrheits- und der Verhaltniswahlkomponente bei Bundestagswahlen untersucht. Die Darstellung richtet sich somit an Politikwissenschaftler, Wahlrechtsexperten in Politik und Wissenschaft, Lehrende an Hochschulen und Journalisten gleichermassen.