The political system of the European Union (Third Edition)

Abstract:

This textbook sets out an innovative way of analyzing, researching and teaching the European Union (EU). Starting from the observation that the EU now possesses many of the attributes of modern political systems, the authors argue that we should use the general theories of political science to help understand how the EU works. For each of the main processes in the EU political system – executive, legislative and judicial politics, public opinion, interest groups and democracy, and regulatory, monetary and foreign policies – the book introduces the key political science tools, reviews the relevant theories, and applies the knowledge in detailed descriptive analysis.

The third edition of this text has been fully revised and rewritten throughout. As well as incorporating new data and the latest research, it examines the consequences of key developments in the EU, from enlargement to the Lisbon Treaty and the 2009 European Parliament election.

Table of Contents:

• Introduction: explaining the EU political system
• Part I - Government
  • Executive politics
  • Legislative politics
  • Judicial politics
• Part II - Politics
  • Public opinion
  • Democracy, parties and elections
  • Interest representation
• Part III - Policies
  • Regulation of the single market
  • Expenditure policies
  • Economic and monetary union
  • Interior policies
  • Foreign policies
• Conclusion: rethinking the European Union

Further information:

There are more recent editions of this publication.