European Integration Theory Flashcards
Widening
Gradual and formal horizontal institutionalism
Increase number MS
Links = looser than deepening
Deepening
Gradual and formal vertical institutionalism
Strengthen links to bind MS
Deepening v widening
Widening makes deepening more difficult Poorly designed and implemented enlargements may: 1) paralyse institutions 2) erode democratic standards = chaos 3) undermine security
Diversity: post communist MS (democratic in last 10 years) not compatible w western MS
Welfare gap: new MS AV GDP/cap = 40% of existing
Spain and Portugal = 70% when joined 1986
–> large financial transfers rich to poor
New-functionalism: background
Political integration = process political actors persuaded to shift localities, expectations and political activities towards new centre - w greater power
Increase econ interdependence (liberalise trade)
Importance nationalism decreased and replaced by supranational state
New-functionalism: E B Haas 1958
Initiation integration needs some identical aims
(Coal and steel)
States aren’t unified actors = have conflicting interests
National gov in LR tend defer to federal decisions
Non state actors play important role
Community formation will work if expectations and behaviour patterns refocused on new central institutions
New-functionalism: spill over
when have integration in 1 area, most efficient outcome = if integrate next bordering area
–> domino effect
Coal and steel –> single market –> monetary union
New-functionalism: type spill over
Functional - sector to sector
Political - support for further integration
Cultivated- commission establishes networks like Erasmus
New-functionalism: indicators of spill over
Interest groups cooperate beyond national level
Interest groups and political parties endorse supranational action over action of national gov
Interest groups and political parties accept rule of law of supranational court decisions
New-functionalism: criticisms
Spill over implies inevitable technological process of further integration along an objective economic rationality
Reliance on highly rational notion of how agents operate = overestimation of loyalty transfer factor
Underestimation of the importance of nationalism
Elitist model
Slow pace integration mid60s-mid80s
Implausibility - continuing relevance of states
Liberal intergovernmentalism: background
Increasing trains-border flow of Gs+S etc –> international policy externalities which create incentives for policy coordination
Gov have incentive to cooperate where coordination permits them to achieve goals they wouldn’t otherwise achieve
International cooperation - 2 stages:
1) gov define set of interests
2) bargain among themselves in effort to realise those interests
Liberal intergovernmentalism: national preference formation
National interests emerge through domestic political conflict as societal groups compete for political influence
State leaders must construct governing coalitions out of influential groups w specific interests as remaining in office requires support of coalition of domestic voters
Liberal intergovernmentalism: intergovernmental strategic interaction
Intergovernmental cooperation in the EU is voluntary
The environment where gov bargain = info rich
-national negotiations possess info about the pref of other gov and implications of policies that are of the greatest interest to them
Low transaction costs of intergovernmental bargaining
-can extend offers and counter offers at relatively little costs
Liberal intergovernmentalism: explaining the outcomes
3 determinants interstate bargaining power:
1) unilateral policy alternatives (threats of non agreement)
- Hungary, Czech Republic threatened to not accept quota system for refugee migrants
- bargaining power
2) alternative coalitions (threats of exclusion)
- Ireland threaten leave € rather than accept German austerity proposals
3) potential for compromise and linkage
Liberal intergovernmentalism: Moravcsik 1998
Integration results from:
Domestic formation of national pref
-shaped by economic interest of powerful domestic interest groups I’m situation international interdependence
Intergovernmental bargaining to substantive agreements which reflect constellation of national pref and bargaining power
Creation of institutions to secure agreements
States remain in control of process
Liberal intergovernmentalism: effects of international cooperation
EU institutions strengthen power gov by
1) increase efficiency of interstate bargaining by reducing transaction costs of identifying, making and keeping agreements
2) EC institutions strengthen autonomy of national political leaders vis-a-vis particularistic social groups within their domestic polity, they strengthen domestic agenda setting power
3) EU as a successful regime of international policy cooperation
