The European Union in Global Politics: Normative power and longitudinal interpretation

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  • Ian James Manners
How does the presence of an international institution, the European Union (EU), shape the norms and normality, policies and polities of its political environment? This research theme raises questions about both the influence and subjects of the EU – ontologically, epistemologically and methodologically. In terms of influence, the question is how does the EU shape its political environment – what is the form of power or influence that the EU exercises? In terms of subjects, the question is who does the EU shape in its political environment – member states and their societies; non-member states and their societies; or non-states and transnational civil societies?

Researching the EU’s influence on its political environment presents the researcher with a number of analytical challenges. First, the EU is a hybrid polity reflecting the contrasting demands of national, supranational and transnational actors and processes. Second, the EU is not just one actor and must be disaggregated into competing institutions, councils, directorates, states and parties. Third, the EU is not the only actor in the European and global political environments – it competes with a multitude of other global, regional, state and transnational actors. Finally, the EU is itself constituted through its actions and the structures it contributes to – it is neither pre-political nor apolitical.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationResearch Methods in European Union Studies
EditorsKennet Lynggaard, Ian Manners, Karl Löfgren
Number of pages16
Place of PublicationBasingstoke
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
Publication dateJul 2015
Pages221-236
Chapter14
ISBN (Print)9780230363052
ISBN (Electronic)9781137316967, 9781137183378
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2015
SeriesPalgrave Studies in European Union Politics

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