Regionalism and the European Union Flashcards
1
Q
Why did the EU win the Nobel peace prize in 2012
A
Honoured for 6 decades of contributions to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe
2
Q
2
Regionalism
A
The theory of practice of coordinating social, economic, political activites within a geographical region comprising a number of states
Ranges from intergovernmentalism to supranationalism
3
Q
Economic regionalism
A
Refers to the creation of greater economic opportunities through cooperation through states in the same geographical region
4
Q
Security regionalism
A
Refers to the forms of cooperation designed to protect states from their enemies, both neighbouring and distant ones
5
Q
Political regionalism
A
Attempts made by states in the same area to strengthen or protect shared values, thereby enhancing their image and reputation and gaining a more powerful diplomatic voice
6
Q
Economic regionalism EG - may protect domestic trade
A
EU is protectionist over its agricultural industry - the CAP offers farmers subsidies which enable them to produce cheaper goods, thereby encouraging EU citizens to buy these goods instead of ones outside the regions
7
Q
2
Political regionalism EG
A
EU is a member of the G20 and observer state for the UN
Arab League and ASIS
8
Q
Security regionalism EG
A
EU has tried to gain more influence over security policy:
- Common Foreign and Security Policy
- Lisbon Treaty - more powers for EU to protect/project its own unified foreign and security
9
Q
3
Economic regionalism EG - Trade agreements
A
- Trans-Pacific Partnership 2016 (states of pacific rims excluding China and US)
- Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (EU AND USA)
- NAFTA (Canada, Mexico and US, reduction of trade barriers)
10
Q
2
Building block
A
- Regionalism and globalisation are the same thing
- Markets open up around the world, the only way of remaining competitve is to do the same within their own regions
11
Q
3
Stumbling block
A
- Regionalism is a response to globalisation rather than being some sort of accommodation with it
- Nation states are effectively looking for a safe harbour to shield them from the unpredictable forces of the global economy
- Regionalism may be providing nation states with a means of protecting their economic and political interests in a globalising world
12
Q
4 arguments with examples for building block
A
- Regional blocs enhance globalisation by essentially compartmentalising the globe - making it ‘smaller’ and more manageable (Mercosur and NAFTA embraced free trade and free movement of capital - own single market)
- Regional blocs organise states into those who have similar goals, making the processes of global governance more effecient
(EU convergence criteria) - Regionalism is compatible with globalisation - similar processes of coop, multilateralism and governance on a smaller scale (UN, Trans Pacific Partnership)
- Outwardly looking regional blocs want to make the most out of global networks are are simply acting as a larger unit than a nation state (ASIS, ASEAN want to make a trade deal with the EU)
13
Q
3 arguments with examples for stumbling block
A
- Inwardly looking regional blocs display a regional egoism - only concerned with their own region - isolationist and protectionist policy that impinges free movement of global trade (EU tarriffs under CAP - 40% of EU budget)
- Regionalism is incongruous with globalisation because instead of enhancing global community and a global civil society, further divides world into segments (ASEAN allows smaller countries of East Asia to formulate policy that best represents their interests against bigger neighbour countries)
- Regional blocs are all quite different in character - cannot effectively organise global relations (some are more interconnected and supranational than others - EU V NAFTA (USMC)
14
Q
3
Federalism
A
- Relies on the process of conscious decision making by the political elites
- Appears to offer a solution to the problems of the state system as peace will only be achieved if states transfer at least a measure of their sov to a higher federal body - pooled - LIBERAL
- Earliest theory of regional or even global integration
15
Q
Federalism implications for sovereignty
A
- Consultative rather than autonomous decision making
EG Europian Central Bank - can make economic decisions on the Eurozone on its own behalf
16
Q
2
Functionalism
A
- ‘Form follows function’
- Cooperation only works when it is focused on specific activities that would be performed more effectively through collective action than by individual states - creating pressure to construct institutional structures
17
Q
2
Functionalism implications for sovereignty
A
- Gradual erosion of sov and loss of democratic legitimacy
18
Q
3
Neofunctionalism
A
- Recognises the limitations of the traditional functionalist idea that integration is largely determined by recognition of growing interdependence in economic and other areas
- Places greater emphasis on the interplay between economics and politics
- Functional coop tends to produce transnational constituencies of advocates for closer coop, creating a dynamic that leads to wideer political integration (spillover)
19
Q
3
What is the African Union
A
- Came into existence July 2002 with the goal to propel African States towards peace and prosperity as the basis for achieving the ultimate goal of political and economic integration of its member states
- Reasonable success through direct contribution and collab with the international community - trouble spots in Sudan, resolving post-election violent conflicts in Kenya, forcing military coup-makers to hand back power to civilian regimes
- China makes them pay more attention to international development coop
20
Q
2
What was NAFTA and the purpose of it?
A
- North American Free Trade Agreement to lift tariffs on virtually all goods traded amongst US, Canada, and Mexico
- Makes it easier for companies in the 3 countries to do business and increase economic prosperity
21
Q
Can Trump pull out of NAFTA and have the US lost jobs because of NAFTA
A
- With 6 months notice, he can set it in motion without congressional approval, april he requested a renegotiation of the terms of the agreement
- Economic Policy Institute said in 2013 that 700K jobs lost as production moved to Mexico with California, Texas and Michigan amongs the worst hit states
22
Q
2
Who benefits from NAFTA and who loses?
A
- Trade quadrupled among the three countries, surpassing 1tn in 2015 reported Reuters new agency
- Severe impact on income among blue collar workers in US Labour market in 2016 - college dropouts working in industries that depdned heavily on tariff protections in place prior to NAFTA - wage growth drop by as much as 17%
23
Q
4
If NAFTA is not to blame for manufacuting job losses, what is?
A
- Manufacutring employment already in decline before NAFTA was signed
- Automation in US industry
- Competition from Chinese exports
- US tariff cuts on Mexian trade under NAFTA were implimented at roughly the same time as tariff cuts with most other countries as the US entered the WTO in 1995
24
Q
4
What is NAFTA’s impact on Mexico and Canada?
A
- Council of Foreign Relations, NAFTA gave a major boots to Mexican farm exports - tripled since the implimentation - auto-manufcatuing jobs have been created - hundreds of thousands
- Mexico econ grow at an average rate of just 1.3% between 1993 and 2013 during when Latin America was undergoing a major expansion
- Canada has seen strong gains in cross border investment in NAFTA, according to CFR - since 1993, Mexican and US investments tripled - agriculture saw a boost
- BUT - ‘productivity gap’ between Canada and US economies remain wide - Canada’s labour productivity remains at 72% of US levels
25
Q
2
Functionalism strengths
A
- Generally had expectations about the extent to which integration and international cooperation are possible
- Political loyalites are realitively easy to transfer away from nation states towards new functional organisations as the latter have been effective in delivering goods and services
26
Q
Functionalism weaknesses
A
- Overemphasises the willingness of states to hand over their responsibilities to functional bodies, especially in areas more political than technical
- Little evidence than international organisations are capable of acquiring a level of popular legitimacy that rivals the nation state
27
Q
4
The European Union and ‘The European Idea’
A
- Has 12 stars who stand for unity, solidarity and harmony - 12 apostles, perfection and completeness
- The ‘European Idea’ (broadly the belief that, regardless of historical, cultural and linguistic differences, Europe constitutes a single political community) was born long before 1945.
- Before the Reformation in the sixteenth century, common allegiance to Rome invested the Papacy with supranational authority over much of Europe. Even after the European state system came into existence, thinkers as different as Rousseau, Saint-Simon and Mazzini championed the cause of European cooperation, and in some cases advocated the establishment of Europe-wide political institutions. However, until the second half of the twentieth century such aspirations proved to be hopelessly utopian.
- Since the Second World War, Europe has undergone a historically unprecedented process of integration, aimed, some argue at the creation of what Winston Churchill in 1946 called a ‘United States of Europe’. Indeed, it is sometimes suggested that European integration provides a model of political organisation that will eventually be accepted worldwide as the deficiencies of the nation-state become increasingly apparent.
28
Q
6
Drivers of integration
A
- The need for economic reconstruction in war-torn Europe through cooperation and the creation of a larger market
- The desire to preserve peace by permanently resolving the bitter Franco-German rivalry that caused the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71), and led to war in 1914 and 1939.
- The recognition that the ‘German Problem’ could be tackled only by integrating Germany into a wider Europe.
- The desire to safeguard Europe from the threat of Soviet expansionism and to mark out for Europe an independent role and identity in a bipolar world order.
- The wish of the USA to establish a prosperous and united Europe, both as a market for US goods and as a bulwark against the spread of communism.
- The widespread acceptance, especially in continental Europe, that the sovereign nation-state was the enemy of peace and prosperity.
29
Q
4
Brexit
A
- Shifted balance of power within EU, reducing no. of countries advocating for free market policies
- UK’s departure has resulted in disruptions to trade and finance labour movement - UK was 2nd largest in the EU before Brexit after Germany
- 2021 - UK-EU trade fell 15% compared to pre-Brexit levels
- Many EU nationals left the UK - stricter immigration rules and labour shortages
30
Q
4
Immigration
A
- 2015 - 1.3M migrants entered the EU, mostly through the Med-routes - record no. compared to 280k IN 2014
- Whilst filling labour shortages - there are concerns about the strain on public services and welfare systems - especially Germany and Italy - top destination - 180K first time aslyum applications
- EU external border agency - Frontex, reported 330K irregular border crossings in 2023
- Highly policitised - EU member states divided over how to share responsibility for aslyum seekers - Hungary and Poland refuse to accept EU mandated quotas for refugees, rising populism and anti-immigrant sentiment in several EU countries
31
Q
3
Greek debt crisis
A
- GDP contracted by about 25% from 2008-2013, one of the deepest recessions ever experienced by a developed country
- Unemployment - 12% in 2023, high compared to the EU average
- Highlighted weaknesses in the EU’s fiscal governance structures. Critics argue the austerity measures imposed on Greece, led to social and economic damage without addressing underlying issues - such as structural ineffeciences within Greek’s economy
