The Governance Approach to European Integration

Markus Jachtenfuchs

Journal of Common Market Studies, 2001, vol. 39, issue 2, 245-264

Abstract: This article argues that the study of European integration is divided into two distinct approaches: classical integration theory for which the shape of the Euro‐polity is the dependent variable; and the governance approach for which it is the independent variable. An historical and conceptual overview of the approach focuses on the efficiency side of governance and excludes issues of democracy and legitimacy. From a sociology of knowledge perspective, the first part traces the roots of the present discussion back to three bodies of literature, namely studies on Europeanization, regulatory policy‐making and network concepts. The second part presents the achievements of the approach: putting EU studies in a comparative perspective, directing attention towards democratic governance and bypassing old dichotomies on the future of the nation‐state. The final section evaluates present shortcomings, most notably a bias toward problem‐solving, the proliferation of case studies and the lack of a coherent theoretical perspective.

Date: 2001
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (26)

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5965.00287

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:39:y:2001:i:2:p:245-264

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.blackwell ... bs.asp?ref=0021-9886

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Common Market Studies is currently edited by Jim Rollo and Daniel Wincott

More articles in Journal of Common Market Studies from Wiley Blackwell
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().