Governing in Europe: Effective and Democratic?

Book Description

The problem-solving capacity, and hence the democratic legitimacy, of national governments is being weakened by the dual processes of legal and economic integration in Europe; and the loss is not fully compensated by the development of effective and legitimate problem-solving capabilities at the European level. Professor Scharpf supports his position by examining the normative underpinnings of democratic legitimacy and by a detailed analysis of the structural asymmetry between the effectiveness of the legal instruments of `negative integration' which prevents governments from interfering with the free movements of goods, services, capital, and persons and the political constraints impeding positive political action at the European level. This is particularly true for policies pertaining to the welfare state. Governing in Europe explores strategies at the national level that could succeed in maintaining welfare state goals even under conditions of international economic competition, and it also discusses the conditions under which European policy could play a protective and enabling role with regard to these national solutions. The author suggests that if these opportunities should be used, multi-level governance in Europe could indeed regain both effectiveness and legitimacy.

The Mirage of Global Markets: How Globalizing Companies Can Succeed as Markets Localize

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The Mirage of Global Markets: How Globalizing Companies Can Succeed as Markets Localize
David Arnold
Manufacturer: FT Press
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ASIN: 013047066X

Book Description

Why do even the best companies struggle to become as profitable in international markets as they are at home? Because they've fallen for the "mirage" of a truly global market. In fact, the world is comprised of hundreds of intensely local markets that are becoming more fragmented with each passing year. In The Mirage of Global Markets, David Arnold reveals why multinationals are actually losing market share--and how the world is rapidly accelerating towards "segments of one." Next, he offers you a comprehensive new blueprint for maximizing profitability in a world of local markets. You will discover why international marketing has become radically different from conventional marketing, and you will learn how to cost-effectively localize all the decisions that matter most: decisions about market entry, product mix, distribution, promotion, communication, strategy and more. Simply put, The Mirage of Global Markets shows how to globally manage the intensely local marketing programs that are now utterly crucial to your success.

From Modernization to Globalization: Perspectives on Development and Social Change (Blackwell Readers in Sociology)

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S and S or Scholars and Students

From Modernization to Globalization: Perspectives on Development and Social Change (Blackwell Readers in Sociology)
J. Timmons Roberts
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Professional
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Process of Economic Development
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Locked in Place: State-Building and Late Industrialization in India

ASIN: 0631210970

Book Description

Why are some countries poor? What can they do to turn their situations around? What happens to countries and individuals when they move towards being "modern"? What does it mean to "develop" and be "modern" anyway? What are the social effects of the processes of worldwide economic, cultural, and political integration called globalization? From Modernization to Globalization is a reference for scholars, students and development practitioners on the issues of processes of social change and development in the 'Third World'. It provides carefully excerpted samples from both classic and up-to-date writings in the development literature, as well as, a general introduction. Part One reviews formative ideas on the transition to modern society with brief readings from classical theorists. The second part addresses the modernizationists' discussion of how development changes people. The response from dependency and world-system theorists is reviewed in Part Three. The final section includes eight of the most influential writings on the social effects of globalization. Together, this represents an unprecedented compilation important of writings on international development.

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S and S or Scholars and Students.......2000-03-29

Wonderful resource for a birdseye view of significant observations of the world changes for 2000plus. Stimulates individual thought and also excellent for a group discussion launching pad. Scholars and students will find it engaging and meaningful.

Infinite Dimensional Analysis: A Hitchhiker's Guide

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An excellent treatment of mathematical methods for economist

Infinite Dimensional Analysis: A Hitchhiker's Guide
Charalambos D. Aliprantis , and Kim C. Border
Manufacturer: Springer
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Fixed Point Theorems with Applications to Economics and Game Theory
Real Analysis with Economic Applications
Repeated Games and Reputations: Long-Run Relationships
Topological Spaces: Including a Treatment of Multi-Valued Functions, Vector Spaces and Convexity
Designing Economic Mechanisms

ASIN: 3540326960

Book Description

This monograph presents a complete and rigorous study of modern functional analysis. It is intended for the student or researcher who could benefit from functional analytic methods, but does not have an extensive background and does not plan to make a career as a functional analyst. It develops the topological structures in connection with measure theory, convexity, Banach lattices, integration, correspondences (multifunctions), and the analytic approach to Markov processes. Many of the results were previously available only in works scattered throughout the literature. The choice of material was motivated from problems in control theory and economics, although the material is more applicable than applied.

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An excellent treatment of mathematical methods for economist.......1998-10-20

The monograph covers advanced mathematical methods for economists. It includes chapters on general topology, topological vector spaces, Riesz spaces and Banach lattices, measure and integration, etc. While the book does not contain (hardly) any economics, the mathematics covered is selected under the aspect of later applications to economics. The book contains for example a long chapter on correspondences, a topic which is hardly covered by any standard math book. The presentation of the mathematics is throughout clear and precise. The advantage of the book is that it covers a wide range of mathematical topics, which could not be found together in a book before. Graduate students in economic theory can use it as a text book, but it can also be used as a reference book. The only lacks of the book are that there are no exercises and that not all math areas important to economics (e.g. differential topology) are covered. Overall, this is an excellent book and should become part of the library of everybody interested in mathematical economics.

Co-integration, Error Correction, and the Econometric Analysis of Non-Stationary Data (Advanced Texts in Econometrics)

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Co-integration, Error Correction, and the Econometric Analysis of Non-Stationary Data (Advanced Texts in Econometrics)
Anindya Banerjee , Juan Dolado , J. W. Galbraith , and David Hendry
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Forecasting, Structural Time Series Models and the Kalman Filter

ASIN: 0198288107

Book Description

This book provides a wide-ranging account of the literature on co-integration and the modelling of integrated processes (those which accumulate the effects of past shocks). Data series which display integrated behaviour are common in economics, although techniques appropriate to analysing such data are of recent origin and there are few existing expositions of the literature. This book focuses on the exploration of relationships among integrated data series and the exploitation of these relationships in dynamic econometric modelling. The concepts of co-integration and error-correction models are fundamental components of the modelling strategy. This area of time-series econometrics has grown in importance over the past decade and is of interest to econometric theorists and applied econometricians alike. By explaining the important concepts informally, but also presenting them formally, the book bridges the gap between purely descriptive and purely theoretical accounts of the literature. The asymptotic theory of integrated processes is described and the tools provided by this theory are used to develop the distributions of estimators and test statistics. Practical modelling advice, and the use of techniques for systems estimation, are also emphasized. A knowledge of econometrics, statistics, and matrix algebra at the level of a final-year undergraduate or first-year undergraduate course in econometrics is sufficient for most of the book. Other mathematical tools are described as they occur.

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Problems of Globalization spelled out in a lucid way.
World Bank
what globalization really is
Ten Things I learned from Globalization and its Discontents
One of the Best

Globalization and Its Discontents
Joseph E. Stiglitz
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0393051242

Amazon.com

Due to massive media coverage, many people are familiar with the controversy and organized resistance that globalization has generated around the world, yet explaining what globalization actually means in practice is a complicated task. For those wanting to learn more, this book is an excellent place to start. An experienced economist, Joseph Stiglitz had a brilliant career in academia before serving for four years on President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisors and then three years as chief economist and senior vice president of the World Bank. His book clearly explains the functions and powers of the main institutions that govern globalization--the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization--along with the ramifications, both good and bad, of their policies. He strongly believes that globalization can be a positive force around the world, particularly for the poor, but only if the IMF, World Bank, and WTO dramatically alter the way they operate, beginning with increased transparency and a greater willingness to examine their own actions closely. Of his time at the World Bank, he writes, "Decisions were made on the basis of what seemed a curious blend of ideology and bad economics, dogma that sometimes seemed to be thinly veiling special interests.... Open, frank discussion was discouraged--there was no room for it." The book is not entirely critical, however: "Those who vilify globalization too often overlook its benefits," Stiglitz writes, explaining how globalization, along with foreign aid, has improved the living standards of millions around the world. With this clear and balanced book, Stiglitz has contributed significantly to the debate on this important topic. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

This powerful, unsettling book gives us a rare glimpse behind the closed doors of global financial institutions by the winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economics. Renowned academic economist Joseph E. Stiglitz served seven years in Washington, as chairman of President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers and as chief economist at the World Bank. In this book, Stiglitz recounts his experiences in such places as Ethiopia, Thailand, and Russia. He finds repeatedly that the International Monetary Fund puts the interests of its "largest shareholder," the United States, above those of the poorer nations it was designed to serve. This insider's account of global economic policy will be hailed for its courage and honesty. Those seeking to understand why globalization has engendered the hostility of protesters in Seattle and Genoa will find the reasons here. While this book includes no simple formula on how to make globalization work, Stiglitz provides a reform agenda that will provoke debate for years to come.

Customer Reviews:

Problems of Globalization spelled out in a lucid way........2007-09-24

This is really a wonderful book on the problems of globalization. Stiglitz points out many of the problems of the IMF and its imposing of conditions on those nations who need its help. Stiglitz points out that free market liberalization without the proper infrastructures such as unemployment insurance and market regulations can cause great harm to developing nations. Unfortunately, the IMF pushes for free market liberalization and very severe austerity plans when it gives out loans. The author does a great job in taking an esoteric subject and making it very understandable to a common reader. The book is really a primer in some ways but he also goes into different examples. He also gives some ideas on what are the solutions to the problems. If anyone wants some background on why there are so many protests at World Trade Organization meetings or other types of economic summits, this book will give you the big picture view of the situations. Stiglitz gives constructive and lucid ideas on what are the remedies to the problems. I took a class on Globalism in MBA school and this was a great book reminding me of the problems in a world economy. Stiglitz shows his ideas that globalization is something that needs to profit the poor and improve lives instead of just backing the interests of the rich. He makes a point several times that institutions like the IMF that play a role in affecting the economic policies of a developing nation need to have transparency, accountability, and approval by the people of that developing nation. He does not advocate throwing out the system; he wants globalization to be a better system for all nations.

World Bank.......2007-06-26

Stiglitz shreds the IMF -- tactfully -- but not tactfully enough to avoid an angry backlash from his peers at the IMF. He highlights what has been wrong and even idiotic about IMF-run globalization and ill-timed structural adjustments, poor sequencing. He thinks democratic leaders should decide HOW they implement global economics, perhaps with some guidance, not just the avaricious Washington Consensus demanding austerity measure and open up for speculative capital flows.

He describes how the World Bank, with himself at the helm, tried to accomplish it's historical purpose -- to spread prosperity and help facilitate trade, not looting. He described some brilliant and compassionate leaders and economists he worked with.

But until recently, it's been Paul Wolfowitz in charge of what Stiglitz used to do. Woe be unto all of us.

what globalization really is.......2007-05-18

a well written ballanced book that takes a deep look at what globalization is and how it effects people, business and government, from the rich to the poor. easy to read for the non-economist, with both sides of the debate being represented equally leaving the reader with a better understanding of the forces behind their changing world.

Ten Things I learned from Globalization and its Discontents.......2007-04-11

1. This book is highly informdative about the effects of the IMF and the World Bank on the world's unequal economy, with a closer focus on the IMF.

2. It describes in detail the muddy mix of false beliefs, borderline corruption and gross incompetence that drive the international financial institutions and inform their ivory tower decisions which have such profound effect on the people of the world.

3. Stiglitz clearly explains economic theories that clearly rebut the policies of the IMF.

4. He gives in-depth case studies that illustrate the inextricable mess these lending institutions can make in attempting to control the macroeconomic processes of poor nations.

5. He is especially informative in his unpacking of the Asian Financial Crisis of 1998, its causes, and how the IMF contributed to large-scale economic disaster. He explains the speculation encouraged by the IMF and the subsequent scares that led investors to flee en masse from the region. Then he discusses how the IMF's policies of structural adjustment and budgetary restraint further harmed nations. Malaysia, who refused to listen to the IMF, suffered the least from the massive economic downturn.

6. He also enlightens the reader about why Russia fell into such disarray after its post-Cold War "freedom." Without a gradual transition to a market economy, as China has been successful in accomplishing, Russia found itself in a crisis where the powerful managed to gain the bulk of the wealth and those with little power descended into poverty without a welfare state to aid them.

7. He explains clearly the conflict between the IMF's Keynsian roots, which aim to support failing economies by extending credit to be able to continue functioning, and its present policies, which force failing economies to reduce its spending, thereby causing nations and people to suffer.

8. As an insider, Stiglitz is able to describe the callousness with which the IMF views - or doesn't view - the people most affected by their policies is part of the organizational structure.

9. The worst part is that we can get all of this information, but lending institutions are not accountable to us or to the people for whom they make such life-altering decisions.

10. Yet only by sharing this information will nations who do have to decide to accept that IMF loan or not be able to understand the consequences of their decision, will individuals be able to stage protest or other forms of dissent, and will change hopefully eventually come in the large institutions that control so much of what happens in the world.

One of the Best.......2007-01-20

A great book which should be read by many to help them have a clearer idea of what is happening around the world. the author gives you what you need to know about the globalization process and what goes on behind the curtain that covers it. however in order to understand it readers should have some essential information of economics. great book never got tired of it.

Globaphobia: Confronting Fears About Open Trade

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The Very First Book To Read on Globalization
A little gem
Excellent Information BUT Beware of Assumptions
Stimulating ideas on globalization and the U. S. economy.
Stimulating ideas on globalization and the U. S. economy.

Globaphobia: Confronting Fears About Open Trade
Progressive Policy Institute (U. S.)
Manufacturer: Brookings Institution Press
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The No-Nonsense Guide to Globalization (No-Nonsense Guides)

ASIN: 0815711891

Book Description

For much of the post-World War II period, the increasing globalization of the U.S. economy was welcomed by policymakers and by the American people. We gained the benefits of cheaper and, in some cases, better foreign-made products, while U.S. firms gained wider access to foreign markets. The increasing economic interlinkages with the rest of the world helped promote capitalism and democracy around the globe. Indeed, we helped "win" the Cold War by trading and investing with the rest of the world, in the process demonstrating to all concerned the virtues of trade and markets. In recent years, however, a growing chorus of complaints has been lodged against globalization--which is blamed for costing American workers their jobs and lowering their wages. The authors of this book speak directly and simply to these concerns, demonstrating with easy prose and illustrations why the "globaphobes" are wrong. Globalization has not cost the United States jobs. Nor has it played any more than a small part in the disappointing trends in wages of many American workers. The challenge for all Americans is to embrace globalization and all of the benefits it brings, while adopting targeted policies to ease the very real pain of those few Americans whom globalization may harm. Globaphobia outlines a novel, yet sensible program for advancing this objective.

Customer Reviews:

The Very First Book To Read on Globalization.......2002-02-17

The ease of reading is exceptional. If you are worried about your limited understanding in economics and especially international trade, this is the book for you. In addition to the book being written and edited to be understood by nearly any modestly educated person it is further advantaged by authors that clearly understand the subject in great depth. As is so often the case the extremely well informed can write with such clarity for the lay reader.

As nearly all economists understand net trade flows always equal net investment flows. Shockingly large numbers of media and congressmen do not understand this utterly simple formula. In a nut shell, with all the foreign money pouring into the USA treasuries market, stock market and direct business investments over the last several decades, it follows that the USA would run trade deficits equal to the net investment inflow over the same period. If you do not understand this or you want an ultra easy review of these simple facts, this book was made for you. In a grand gesture of national service these authors wrote the book that was needed for general understanding of what positive and negative points globalization means to the USA. It is not designed for academic kudos.

If every modestly educated voter would read this book, the future of the USA and the world would be significantly brightened. While this is a pipe dream, at least read this book before you say one more word about globalization otherwise you may embarrass your self in the presence of informed people. If you are informed on economics please forgive my heavy handedness. It is not meant for you. This is a critical issue for underdeveloped nations and the mature nations, there is so much to be gained by informed voters on this subject.

This book is carefully grounded in the proven principals of economics. While a reviewer or two gives an impression to the contrary, decades of reading in economics provides me the confidence to assure you that this book is profoundly well grounded. At each point where scholars may differ the authors and editors have carefully laid out its discussion. This is not a book written with a liberal or conservative bent. Modern economics encompasses a significant degree of science and mathematical logic. To view this book as otherwise, is to be illogical or unwilling to accept the most basic proven equations. Again you will not find an easier more meaningful book to read on economics.

The USA economy for a variety of reasons has sharply declining need for workers without a high school education and places a continuing rising premium on post college education. Increasingly, those that can graduate from the elite institutions lead nearly a charmed life in the USA. Immigrants that are able to enter the USA with limited education are having increasing difficulty as the decades roll by. It is not clear that globalization is a meaningful factor in placing the such great educational needs on the American worker. This book helps frame the questions that might be asked about the rising importance of education in the USA. The book being about globalization does not dwell on this issue, but it does strongly suggest that the potential understanding of this issue of the exponentially rising need for superior knowledge is much broader than the globalization trend.

The most provocative theme in the latter chapters of the book is the impact of globalization on those American workers that are poorly educated. The adverse impacts on this group comes from rapid technology changes, defective educational system, ineffective governmental assistance and to a very small degree open trade. The authors documentation about how little negative impact foreign trade has on a very limited number of workers is shocking. A source of another worthy book would be to provide a more exhaustive review of this aspect. The authors conclude that the popular obsession on this point should treated with a reorganized aggressive worker assistance program. Almost any reasonable assistance program would be a modest cost relative to the diverse and powerful benefits that all the rest of Americans get from open trade according to the authors.

The authors are very negative on the effectiveness of government sponsored retraining. The book is highly critical of the governments ability to define injured parties in open trade without it being a political football. The authors suggest an assistance program that is indiscriminate as to the cause of worker misfortune and focuses on programs that show imperial evidence of effectiveness. The focal point is intermediate assistance for any lower income workers need to find new employment. While the left and the right quarrel about where to draw the line, the authors contend that so few people are in need relative to the benefits of open trade that just focusing on a well designed assistance program would make all the difference in giving support and comfort to the aggrieved relative to the huge benefits of open trade.

A little gem.......2001-06-30

Globaphobia is a great little text on the benefits of free trade. If only some of those protesting about the evils of capitalism actually took the time to educate themselves. They might then see that everyone benefits from free trade; developing countries have more jobs and developed countries higher real wages; consumers everywhere get greater choice.

There will always be losers - as the book makes clear. But that's a fact of life whichever economic creed you follow. There are significantly fewer losers in Asia now that forty years of economic liberalisation have raised income levels from paddy field to first world standards. This book explains why - in crisp simple terms.

Excellent Information BUT Beware of Assumptions.......2001-03-05

Globaphobia is an important book for anyone trying to get a handle on the free trade arguments. The book is well written and addressed to a lay audience. One should be careful about some of the assumptions in the book, especially if one has no background in economics. I was required to get the book as a supplementary reading for an International Trade Theory course. I found it to be very helpful in getting a big picture understanding of current International Trade Theory. Buy the book; it is worth the relatively inexpensive price!

Stimulating ideas on globalization and the U. S. economy........1998-10-10

An effective presentation of the positive and sometimes negative effects that open world trade has on the U. S. economy. It suggests thought-provoking ideas on how the United States and other national economies can ease the negative effects of globalization on their less-educated or poorly-prepared working populations. Our consulting staff recommends this publication as "semi-relaxed" reading when you are ready to let your mind roam and consider new ideas. John R. Jagoe, Director, Export Institute

Stimulating ideas on globalization and the U. S. economy........1998-10-10

The Globalization Reader (Blackwell Readers)

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thoughtful views from noted personages

The Globalization Reader (Blackwell Readers)

Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Work of Nations: Preparing Ourselves for 21st Century Capitalism
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In Defense of Globalization

ASIN: 0631214763

Book Description

The Globalization Reader makes sense of a term that has become an all-purpose catchword in contemporary debate. This Reader compiles the most relevant literature into a highly readable and accessible format, providing students and researchers with an indispensable understanding of the globalization process.

The book includes selections from the best work of leading scholars, presenting distinctive explanations of the process of globalization. There are also descriptive entries on London, Manila, and Malawi, expressing the experience of globalization in everyday life. The book also focuses on global economic forces, global organization and cultural globalization including the construction of identities and the pervasive role of the mass media. The Reader concludes by examining the rise of world civil society as reflected in global environmental movements.

Customer Reviews:

thoughtful views from noted personages.......2005-09-22

The editors put together an impressive pedigree of authors of the book's chapters. Foremost amongst these is Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations. He discusses how modern states still have a place in this era of increasing globalisation. Then Nobelist Amartya Sen asks how to judge its successes and failures. He suggests that it has much to offer. But also cautions that multinationals often prefer working in autocracies than in free wheeling democracies. And globalisation tends to deal in spreading capitalism rather than democracy.

Historian Samuel Huntington, philosopher Hans Kung and many others also give variant takes. More optimistic, though with qualifications.

You can ponder the essays as posing more thoughtful and measured views than many shrill screeds on the subject.

The Choice for Europe: Social Purpose and State Power from Messina to Maastricht (Cornell Studies in Political Economy)

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Absorbing study of the EU's development
Renewing the Debate about the Causes of European Integration
excellent revisionist overview of European integration
Political science for European integration historians

The Choice for Europe: Social Purpose and State Power from Messina to Maastricht (Cornell Studies in Political Economy)
Andrew Moravcsik
Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The European Union: How Does It Work? (The New European Union Series)
Policy-Making in the European Union (The New European Union Series)

ASIN: 0801485096

Book Description

The creation of the European Community ranks among the most extraordinary achievements in modern world politics. Observers disagree, however, about the reasons why European governments have chosen to coordinate core economic policies and surrender sovereign prerogatives. In this eagerly awaited book, Andrew Moravcsik analyzes the history of the region's movement toward economic and political union.

Do these unifying steps demonstrate the preeminence of national security concerns, the power of federalist ideals, the skill of political entrepreneurs like Jean Monnet and Jacques Delors, or the triumph of technocratic planning? Moravcsik rejects such views. Economic interdependence has been, he maintains in his provocative argument, the primary force compelling these democracies to move in this surprising direction. Politicians rationally pursued national economic advantage through the exploitation of asymmetrical interdependence and the manipulation of institutional commitments.

Focusing on Germany, France, and Britain, Moravcsik examines the five decisive agreements that propelled integration forward. He seeks to reintegrate the historical study of European unity with theoretical inquiry into the sources of international cooperation.

Customer Reviews:

Absorbing study of the EU's development.......2001-07-18

In this deeply researched book, Andrew Moravcsik studies five key moves toward wider and deeper European integration: the Treaties of Rome, consolidating the Common Market, monetary integration, the Single European Act and the Maastricht Treaty. He argues that the member governments chose ever closer union in order to promote their countries' economic interests. He aims to prove that economic interests, not political ideas, drive EU integration. He focuses on how the governments of Germany, France and Britain made their decisions.

Moravcsik argues that the British government's policy in the 1950s of opposition to joining the Common Market "was the rational one for a government that traded little with the Continent, had high tariffs in place, and feared competition with German producers." So there was economic logic to staying out. It is less clear that there was good reason for the subsequent reversal of policy: trading with a bloc does not oblige us to join it!

He shows that De Gaulle vetoed Britain's application not out of chauvinism, but because we opposed generous financing for French farmers through the Common Agricultural Policy. In 1969, Pompidou lifted the veto, but only in exchange for the British government's huge concession of agreeing to a permanent financing arrangement for the CAP. This made it CAP reform impossible.

Similarly, member governments have pursued integration through creating the Single Market and EMU. Moravcsik shows how Europe's multinational companies and the national employers' organisations backed integration. The European Commission admitted, "The single market programme has done more for business than it has for workers", a judgment true also of Economic and Monetary Union. Economic interests may well have determined the drive to a single state, but paradoxically the closer the cooperation between EU members has become, the worse their economies have performed.

Capitalist states and multinational companies have taken the EU road to lost sovereignty and economic integration, but the peoples of Europe are increasingly choosing otherwise, as the Irish people showed in the 7 June referendum on the Nice Treaty. In particular, here in Britain the option of leaving the EU looks more and more inviting.

Renewing the Debate about the Causes of European Integration.......2000-07-16

Andrew Moravcsik boldly makes the case for the centrality of the three largest member states in the construction of Europe. In this volume, Moravcsik articulates his "liberal intergovernmentalist" (LI) framework of analysis and utilizes primary sources to strengthen his response to Paul Pierson's "historical institutionalist" (HI) account of European integration. As Moravcsik explains, in making the choice for Europe

"...it was the deliberate triumphs of European integration, not its unintended side-effects, that appear to have increased support for further integration. This is the key point of divergence between HI theory and the tri-partite "liberal intergovernmentalist" interpretation advanced here. For most governments, inducing economic modernization-even with unpleasant side-effects-was the major purpose of European integration." (p. 491)

One of the strongest contributions of Moravcsik's volume is to revisit the classic neo-functionalist-intergovernmentalist debate and to place it in a new theoretical context. To Moravcsik's credit, this tome offers a detailed, thorough and remarkably organized assessment of competing explanations in the European integration literature. Students and scholars of integration will grapple with the issues raised as a result of this work for years to come.

Moravcsik's volume challenges the "myths" of European integration and calls into question the relevance of actions taken by supranational entrepreneurs. National versus supranational debates notwithstanding, Monnet's (and later Delor's) talent was to seize a moment in history when Europe was at the brink of continuity or change. Monnet's use of crisis as opportunity sought to alter fundamentally the way in which France and Germany interacted within the European system. Is this not the essence of the Schuman Plan in 1950, namely, to use the opportunity to modernize France economically as part of an equation to make future wars with its neighbor across the Rhine impossible?

Although convergence was already apparent among European economies, did the initial political decision to pool the critical resources in the making of war, to integrate in the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), require individuals like Schuman, Monnet, Adenauer and Hallstein to work against the fact that European states mistrusted each other and were therefore disinclined to integrate? It is most unfortunate that volume length does not permit Moravcsik to cover this initial case. In the light of the ECSC experience, was the agreement to create the Common Market in 1958 intrinsically about making European countries richer? The archival research of Raymond Poidevin and Andreas Wilkens sheds light on the experience of the ECSC. Their writings may help us evaluate the extent to which the initial experiments in integration, including the aborted European Political Community (EPC) and European Defense Community (EDC), influenced the interests of the Six during the Treaty of Rome negotiations. References to Poidevin's work are scarce among the 1116 footnotes in The Choice for Europe. There are some citations of Wilken's writings, but not those that critically evaluate the impact of Monnet's role during the period 1950-57.

In Moravcsik's analysis, economic interests, asymmetrical interdependence and more credible commitments, respectively, drive states to negotiate, cooperate and integrate in Europe. Moravcsik candidly (and correctly) acknowledges that his primacy of economics explanation is less helpful to our understanding of German motivations to cooperate in Europe. In the French case, does Moravcsik's revisionist account successfully convince us that de Gaulle emphasized national economic interests over geopolitical priorities or an ideology of grandeur? By asserting that ideas motivate only when no strong interest is involved, does Moravcsik's account draw an unnecessary dividing line between the General's socio-economic and geo-political goals? It may be argued that the General's priorities were inextricably intertwined as President to assure the country's place as the first among states in Europe. My own volume on the Maastricht process demonstrates the relevance of two-level analysis. Other writings about Britain's role in the Maastricht negotiations likewise stress the importance of simultaneous domestic-international interactions in intergovernmental conference diplomacy. Given that Moravcsik's own prior writings strikingly illustrate the contributions of Putnam's model, it is puzzling why he does not emphasize two-level games in The Choice for Europe. Moreover, the potential for interactions among the three analytical stages Moravcsik defines in his book, namely, preference formation, interstate bargaining and implementation, also warrants more attention in future editions.

The phenomenal number of sources cited in Moravcsik's tome is a compelling reason to include a bibliography, including the names, places and dates of all interviews conducted. This would help the reader locate cited materials more efficiently. Moreover, it would underline Moravcsik's attention to primary sources which brings us to a methodological point. Moravcsik does not cite magazine or newspaper articles and relies a good deal on confidential interviews. It may be argued that journalistic writings are helpful when "hard" primary sources, namely, internal government documents, are systematically cross checked with these accounts. Accurate journalistic reporting, when referenced consistently, can also confirm or deny explanations given in confidential interviews. These techniques allow for a greater degree of transparency in source materials.

The preceding points are evidence that, given the numerous questions this volume raises, Moravcsik has admirably achieved his most important objective: to renew the intellectual-practitioners' debate about the fundamental causes of European integration. The Choice for Europe is recommended to a wide audience as an unprecedented work that incorporates elements of comparative politics, international relations and political economy in a historical narrative that challenges us to think critically about the reasons why states choose to cooperate.

excellent revisionist overview of European integration.......2000-03-09

I found this book one of the best I have read on European integration history. It is a good example of revisionist history at its best. Compared to other books i have studied on the same subject this one makes a number of novel points and gives a completely different emphasis on driving factors & driving actors of the process of EU integration, putting the role of the Member States at centre stage all the way, and their economic interests as primary driving elements. To me, as an economist, this sounded convincing and certainly puts a novel slant on the traditional 'high politics' integration story. At the same time, I also found it a somewhat depressing account of the ineffectiveness of the Commission at crucial times of decision making. The book certainly puts into question some cherished notions about the role and functioning of the Commission, and since I am proud to work there it was not easy to take this in.

I found the first chapter hard going and somewhat obtruse, although i can appreciate the methodological points he makes, which are all to often ingnored. Once one is through that, though, the real story begins and a fascinating account it is, especially since it certainly does not follow the analysis i have read previously on this subject.

An excellent reference work, and certain to stimulate many a (heated) debate.

Political science for European integration historians.......1999-07-01

For once, here is a general text purporting to analyse the history of European integration that actually lives up to its billing. It is quite rightly considered a tour de force. Indeed, Andrew Moravcsik's "The choice for Europe" has already established itself as one of the most important publications to date on this subject. While it is obvious that the continued evolution of the European Union has been one of the most `extraordinary political achievements' to have taken place during the 20th century, the reasons why this community of states was created in the first place and the ways in which it has since developed have not always been so convincingly explained or succinctly outlined, that is until now. What Robert Keohane describes on the fly-cover as the `most compelling and significant analysis yet of the European Community' is just that.

Moravcsik is not a historian, but in this text he tries to integrate political science theory into a historical study of European unity; this is in order to discover why there has been such a high-level of cooperation between Western European states during the last half-century. His book fills an important gap in our knowledge by tracing the somewhat erratic developments that have led to a greater degree of economic and political union gradually being instituted throughout this region and by placing these in a theoretical perspective.

In this most accessible work, he persuasively argues that economic interdependence has been the prime motivator in successive governments making these rational choices. One of the weak (and strong) points however regarding Moravcsik's investigation is that it only focuses on the big European powers - Germany, Great Britain and France, as well as the European Commission - and does not really delve into small-power politics. Questions such as how these smaller nations tried to operate within, or negotiate entry into, the EEC as they became more aware and realistic about their world positions, how they operated in relation to the big powers, et cetera, must wait until their specific histories have been chronicled before they can be answered. At least historians now have a tool to do so.

Book Description

Fully revised and updated, this popular introductory textbook on monetary integration in Europe covers important recent events and theoretical issues. Paul De Grauwe authoritatively evaluates the costs and benefits of monetary union and the current possibilities of moving towards a single
currency.

Customer Reviews:

Useful.......2002-04-10

I'm an undergraduate student in Finance and Economics. I picked up this book for a term paper for my Public Economics class.

If there's one thing to say about De Grauwe's book is that it seemed very useful, down to earth, in contrast to other economics books I've read. The concepts covered in the book were explained very clearly, and for someone interested in the area, the theories seemed ready for use for application in understanding the important issues of monetary integration.

Whether there are flaws in the theory are--honestly--beyond my grasp; I'd have to read more. The book seems written and revised fairly enough and hasn't received negative comments from the faculty at my university. If someone else has a contrary opinion, I'm sure it'd help for people to hear.

Check the sample pages if you want to see if this book would be good for you.

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