European integration

Question 1

What is European integration?

Answer 1

The deepening and widening of EU. Getting more member states and increase the common policies and standards (e.g. the SEM) to gain economic growth for the members of the union.

Question 2

How do you achieve peace and avoid nationalism of the ‘old order’?

Answer 2

Federalism

Question 3

What theories explains European integration and its driving forces?

Answer 3

Neo-functionalism and liberal intergovernmentalism.

Question 4

What theory explains the nature of EU and how governance works?

Answer 4

Multi-level governance (MLG)

Question 5

What theories can explain the consequences of European integration?

Answer 5

Europeanization and Democratic theories

Question 6

What theories show in whose interests the EU acts, and which ideologies predominate?

Answer 6

Critical political economy and constructivism

Question 7

What does Neo-functionalism say about European integration?

Answer 7

• It seeks to explain - how and why member states voluntarily mix and mingles with neighbors to lose their sovereignty while they acquire new techniques to resolve conflicts between themselves.
• European integration is a deterministic process i.e., when member states cooperate in one policy area, then this will spread to more policy areas like a snowball going down a hill (spill overs).
• The integration will weaken the national states.
• Institutions (e.g. the EC) and interest groups will influence and manipulate political decisions. (Leads to transnationalism)

Question 8

What does liberal intergovernmentalism say about European integration?

Answer 8

It explains the initial commitment to the internal market. It sees the integration as a choice and as something that strengthens/rescues the national states.

Question 9

Explain the theory of MLG

Answer 9

• MLG believes that different levels are needed because at a supranational level you must have unanimous agreement, and with the number of states in the EU that is almost impossible.
• Multi-level i.e.: The EU, international EU, the national government, regional governments and so forth

Question 10

How can Europeanization be defined?

Answer 10

Europeanization have been defined with five different terms:
• A top-down process of change deriving from the EU
• The creation of new EU powers
• Changes in external boundaries

Question 11

What can the EU’s impact on democracy be defined as and what does this mean?

Answer 11

The impact can be defined as ‘democratic deficit’.

• the gap between the powers of European institutions and the ability of European citizens to influence their work and decisions
• The idea that EU lacks some basic democratic institutions

Question 12

Describe a ‘legitimacy deficit’

Answer 12

Ignoring the idea of democracy.

Legitimacy concerns wether or not the citizens feel a sense of trust towards the political system.