IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jcmkts/v35y1997i2p267-299.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An Ever Closer Fusion? A Dynamic Macropolitical View on Integration Processes

Author

Listed:
  • Wolfgang Wessels

Abstract

To explain the evolution of the EU, a macropolitical approach using overall aggregate data is taken. Four dynamic views are tested: the neofunctional/neofederal assumption of linear growth; the realist view of decline; the governance/pendulum view of cyclical up and down; and the fusion thesis view of structural growth and differentiation. The article uses five indicators: binding outputs; scope enlargement of public policies; transfer of competencies; institutional growth and procedural differentiation; and involvement of intermediary groups in channels of influence. The data point to trends of merging public resources at several state levels, leading to increasing complexities, a lack of transparency and difficulties in reversing the development. This ever closer fusion is explained as a dynamic product of rational strategies of European welfare states faced with growing interdependencies and spillovers, furthered by the institutional logics of EU bodies. Criticized for the lack of legitimacy and the entailing of national democratic constitutions, this new polity may be perceived as a new stage in the evolution of European state and—more open to critical debate—a novel form of representative government.

Suggested Citation

  • Wolfgang Wessels, 1997. "An Ever Closer Fusion? A Dynamic Macropolitical View on Integration Processes," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(2), pages 267-299, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:35:y:1997:i:2:p:267-299
    DOI: 10.1111/1468-5965.00060
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5965.00060
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/1468-5965.00060?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Benz, Arthur & Zimmer, Christina, . "The EU’s competences: The ‘vertical’ perspective on the multilevel system," Living Reviews in European Governance (LREG), Institute for European integration research (EIF).
    2. repec:jes:wpaper:y:2011:v:3:p:415-428 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Scharpf, Fritz W., 2001. "What have we learned? Problem-solving capacity of the multilevel European polity," MPIfG Working Paper 01/4, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    4. Janine Goetschy, 2005. "The open method of coordination and the Lisbon strategy: the difficult road from potential to results," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 11(1), pages 064-080, February.
    5. Pierfederico Asdrubali & Soyoung Kim, 2008. "The Economic Effects of the EU Budget: A VAR Analysis," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(5), pages 933-968, December.
    6. Arne Niemann, 2006. "Explaining visa, asylum and immigration policy Treaty revision: insights from a revised neofunctionalist framework," The Constitutionalism Web-Papers p0005, University of Hamburg, Faculty for Economics and Social Sciences, Department of Social Sciences, Institute of Political Science.
    7. Scharpf, Fritz W., 2003. "Problem-solving effectiveness and democratic accountability in the EU," MPIfG Working Paper 03/1, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    8. Chalmers, Damian & Lodge, Martin, 2003. "The open method of co-ordination and the European welfare state," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 35993, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Braun, Marcel, 2009. "The evolution of emissions trading in the European Union - The role of policy networks, knowledge and policy entrepreneurs," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(3-4), pages 469-487, April.
    10. Benz, Arthur & Zimmer, Christina, . "The EU's competences: The 'vertical' perspective on the multilevel system," Living Reviews in European Governance (LREG), Institute for European integration research (EIF).
    11. Ioan Popescu, 2011. "The Expansion Of European Bureaucracy," CES Working Papers, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 3(3), pages 415-428, September.
    12. Delhey, Jan, 2004. "European social integration: From convergence of countries to transnational relations between peoples," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Inequality and Social Integration SP I 2004-201, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    13. Treib, Oliver, 2004. "Die Bedeutung der nationalen Parteipolitik für die Umsetzung europäischer Sozialrichtlinien. Politik − Verbände − Recht: Die Umsetzung europäischer Sozialpolitik, Band 1," Schriften aus dem Max-Planck-Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung Köln, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, volume 51, number 51.
    14. Braun, Marcel & Santarius, Tilman, 2008. "Climate politics in the multi-level governance system: emissions trading and institutional changes in environmental policy-making," Wuppertal Papers 172, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy.
    15. repec:bla:jcmkts:v:46:y:2008:i::p:933-968 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Richard Perkins & Eric Neumayer, 2007. "Do Membership Benefits Buy Regulatory Compliance?," European Union Politics, , vol. 8(2), pages 180-206, June.
    17. Laffan, Brigid, 1997. "The European Union: A Distinctive Model of Internationalisation?," European Integration online Papers (EIoP), European Community Studies Association Austria (ECSA-A), vol. 1, October.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:35:y:1997:i:2:p:267-299. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0021-9886 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.