User:LuckyintheRye/sandbox/EurpeanIntegrationTheories

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Theories of integration
The question of how to avoid wars between the nation-states was essential for the first theories. Federalism and Functionalism proposed the containment of the nation-state, while Transactionalism sought to theorise the conditions for the stabilisation of the nation-state system.

One of the most influential theories of European integration is neofunctionalism, developed by Ernst B. Haas (1958) and further investigated by Leon Lindberg (1963). This theory focuses on spillovers of integration, which leads to more integration. By contrast, the other big influential theory in Integration Studies, Liberal Intergovernmentalism, focuses on state preferences being realised through bargaining. This theory was developed by Andrew Moravcsik in the 1990s, by building on the 'intergovernmentalist' work of Stanley Hoffman and others. It remains very influential. The important debate between neofunctionalism and Liberal intergovernmentalism still remains central in understanding the development and setbacks of the European integration.

As the empirical world has changed, so have the theories and thus the understanding of European Integration. Today there is a relatively new focus on the complex policy-making in the EU and multi-level governance (MLG) trying to produce a theory of the workings and development of the EU.

According to a 2016 study, European integration deepens through a "failing forward" process whereby, "Intergovernmental bargaining leads to incompleteness because it forces states with diverse preferences to settle on lowest common denominator solutions. Incompleteness then unleashes forces that lead to crisis. Member states respond by again agreeing to lowest common denominator solutions, which address the crisis and lead to deeper integration. To date, this sequential cycle of piecemeal reform, followed by policy failure, followed by further reform, has managed to sustain both the European project and the common currency."

revised version on WIKI

Theories of integration
European integration scholars Thomas Diez and Antje Wiener identity the general tendencies in the development of European integration theory and divided theories of integration into three broad phases, which are preceded by a normative proto-integration theory period. . There's a gradual shift from theories studying European integration as sui generis towards new approaches that incorporate theories of International Relations and Comparative politics.

Proto-Integration Period
'''The question of how to avoid wars between the nation-states was essential for the first theories. Federalism and Functionalism proposed the containment of the nation-state, while Transactionalism sought to theorise the conditions for the stabilisation of the nation-state system.''' Early federalism was more like a political movement calling for European federation by various political actors, for example, Altiero Spinelli calling for a federal Europe in his Ventotene Manifesto, and Paul Valéry envisioning European civilization for unity. State sovereignty was an issue for federalists who hoped political organizations at higher regional level would solve the issue. Representative scholar of functionalism is David Mitrany, who also sees states and their sovereignty as core problem that one should restrain states to prevent future wars. However, Mitrany disagreed with regional integration as he viewed it as mere replication of state-model. Transactionalism, on the other hand, sees increased cross-border exchanges as promoting regional integration so that the risk of war is reduced.

Neofunctionalism focused on regional elites in driving integration and the logic of "spillover", where well-integrated and interdependent areas lead to greater integration (Niemann and Schimitter 2009:49).

First Phase: Explaining Integration, 1960s onwards
European integration theory initially focused on explaining integration process of supranational institution-building. One of the most influential theories of European integration is Neofunctionalism, influenced by functionalist ideas, developed by Ernst B. Haas (1958) and further investigated by Leon Lindberg (1963). This theory focuses on spillovers of integration, where well-integrated and interdependent areas lead to '''to more integration. ''' Neofunctionalism well captures the spillover from the European Coal and Steel Community to the European Economic Community established in the 1957 Treaties of Rome. Transfers of loyalties from the national level to the supranational level is expected to occur as integration progresses.

The other big influential theory in Integration Studies is Intergovernmentalism, advanced by Stanley Hoffmann after the Empty Chair Crisis by French President Charles De Gaulle in the 1960s. Intergovernmentalism and later, Liberal Intergovernmentalism, developed in the 1980s by Andrew Moravcsik focus on governmental actors' impacts that are enhanced by supranational institutions but not restrained from them. The important debate between neofunctionalism and liberal intergovernmentalism still remains central in understanding the development and setbacks of the European integration.

Second Phase: Analyzing Governance, 1980s onwards
As the empirical world has changed, so have the theories and thus the understanding of European Integration. The second generation of integration theorists focused on the importance of institutions and their impacts on both integration process and European governance development. The second phase brought in perspectives from comparative politics in addition to traditional International Relations theoretical references. Studies attempted to understand what kind of polity the EU is and how it operates. For example, new theory multi-level governance (MLG) was developed to understand the workings and development of the EU.

Third Phase: Constructing the EU, 1990s onwards
The third phase of integration theory marked a return of International Relations theory with the rise of critical and constructivist approaches in the 1990s. Perspectives from social constructivists, post-structuralists, critical theories, feminist theories are incorporated in integration theories to conceptualize European integration process of widening and deepening.

Sources


 * 1) Diez & Wiener introducing the mosaic of integration theory
 * 2) Saurugger
 * 3) Rosamond
 * 4) Cini & Borragan neofunc intergov