Scribd
Upload
68 views

26 EU and Regional Integration PDF

The document discusses the challenges and opportunities of regional integration, using the European Union as a case study. It explores whether regional blocs represent a triumph of liberalism through increased trade, or a rise in new centers of power. While the EU has made progress in integration through the creation of common symbols, currency, and policies, there remain divisions among Europeans in areas like laws, culture and attitudes. The future of whether the EU or US will be more powerful is uncertain, as the "European Dream" of equality and social protections faces challenges of weaker economic growth compared to the United States. Overall, the EU provides the most advanced example of regional integration in practice today.

Uploaded by

ajakuk
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
68 views

26 EU and Regional Integration PDF

The document discusses the challenges and opportunities of regional integration, using the European Union as a case study. It explores whether regional blocs represent a triumph of liberalism through increased trade, or a rise in new centers of power. While the EU has made progress in integration through the creation of common symbols, currency, and policies, there remain divisions among Europeans in areas like laws, culture and attitudes. The future of whether the EU or US will be more powerful is uncertain, as the "European Dream" of equality and social protections faces challenges of weaker economic growth compared to the United States. Overall, the EU provides the most advanced example of regional integration in practice today.

Uploaded by

ajakuk
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 61

The Challenge of Regional Integration

The Theoretical Challenge


Are regional blocs a triumph of Liberalism?
Free trade in the region Factor mobility: Freedom

Do they weaken economic nationalism?


Transcending nationalism through interdependence

Or are we seeing the rise of regional blocs as new power centers?

Our theories give us only one way to think about regional integration
A choice for regional integration is a choice for liberalism Liberalism limited to the region Integration can be deep or shallow, more or less liberal

But regionalism can be a new way to think about the relationship between politics and economics Regions replace states? They interact with one another..

We have seen the rise of new global powersBRICswe may now be seeing the rise of powerful regions Decline of US as global hegemon for the overall international economy. Lesson of Great Depression: Many expected the intl economy to fragment into three main blocsone centered on the US, one on Europe, and a third on Japan.

A liberal view: Bicycle theory of Free Trade Areas


if you dont keep moving forward, the whole thing topples over. Global free trade is stalled. Regional trade keeps progress toward global freedom moving

Some liberals disagree


Discrimination Violation of core of WTOMFN Undermines multilateralism EU is the greatest violator
Trades with only few countires on MFN basis Preferential arrangements with every other country in the world

Distributive Justice/socialist critique


Regionalism is just a platform for big business But no platform for democracy Project of political and economic elites Democratic deficit

Regionalism can marry liberalism and nationalism.even economic nationalism Regional integration might be a compromise arrangement for markets and politics. Regional arrangements can break down national-level barriers to commerce And provide regional-level governance that represent interest groups and individuals.

Best example of this is the EU

10

But Regionalism can become competitive and dangerous


Economies of scale to capture market leadership Econ. Nationalism at the level of supernational governance De Santis view of China and Asian regionalism
ASEAN possibly a platform for China to exclude the US from Asian market

11

Except for the EU, though, Regionalism never really took off
Many regional blocs out ther APEC, FTAA, the African Union, and the East Asian Economic Caucus, among others. Have not thrived

12

Is the EU is Becoming a Superstate?


What makes a State? Government over a defined territory Common symbols Common traditions Common military Common currency identity /culture Granting of citizenship rights

What makes a superstate? A regional body with the characteristics of a state

13

A common government?
Where should laws be made? Which courts should decide?

14

The ECSC/EEC institutions: consciously modeled on national states

EXECUTIVE

LEGISLATIVE

JUDICIAL European Court of Justice adjudicates disputes

Council of Ministers European Commission votes proposes


some implementation by Commission bureaucracy

European Parliament most implementation by votes* national governments *Though little real EP power until 1980s

16

Common symbols.

17

EU Anthem

18

Euro

19

European Passport

20

Motto: Unity in Diversity

21

EU Today
The European Union (EU) has experienced significant changes over the last several years. 1- Enlargement 2- Constitution 3- Common Defense
22

Enlargement..

1957

23

1981/86

24

Europe 2005

25

European Union 2009

26

The struggle for a Constitution

27

EU Common Defense?

28

Diplomacy: EU is Represented in International Organizations The EU is a member of the G20, WTO, UN,G8

29

Much of the closer move toward integration or becoming a superstate came since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989
August 13, 1961 November 9, 1989

30

But there are problems.. Europeans still have much that divides them

language Culture Laws Attitudes Which side of the road to drive one government
31

Multilingualism,

32

Large Bureaucracy unresponsive to Democracy

33

Is there such a thing?

34

Protesting the EU Constitution

35

Immigration and the headscarf debate in France

36

United in the Financial Crisis? Not really

37

Free Trade or Protectionism?

38

Is Europe really becoming a Superstate?


If I want to call Europe, who answers the phone?

39

Will the EU surpass the United States in power?


As the EU enlarges, it will come to dominate the geopolitics of Eurasia, gradually replacing America as the arbiter of the globes strategic heartland. Capital is flowing to Europe and a rising euro competes with the dollar
40

Will the Euro Threaten the Dollars Global Dominance?

41

Trade and Competitiveness


EU recently surpassed America as Chinas top trading partner. This years ranking of the worlds most competitive economies by the World Economic Forum awarded five of the top 10 slotsincluding No. 1 Finlandto northern European social democracies. How will they fare in the financial crisis?
42

Do the US and Europe cooperate more than they compete?


that the nations of Europe, will merge closely into a higher unity and will form the fraternity of Europe . . . Two huge groups will be seen, the United States of America and the United States of Europe, holding out their hands to one another across the ocean 1848

Victor Hugo 1802-1885

43

Liberal view: EU and US: Interdependent whether they like it or not!


Today:

The EU and US GDP = 60% of the world total,

although together they =10% of the world population.

44

We are Partners.
The EU and US exchange one billion Euros in trade per day and our investment relationship is even bigger. In 2008, the US accounted for 3/4 of new foreign direct investment in Europe; while Europe invests more annually in Texas than Japan invests in the fifty states combined. And this investment creates jobs over 4 million on each side of the Atlantic, and thats only counting the jobs directly created by foreign affiliates.

45

A Threat to U.S. hegemony? Will the European Dream will soon surpass the American Dream?
The American Dream is the Liberal Dream: Prosperity. Live to Work Merit Mobility Consumption Free markets
46

American Dream: Democracy

47

Foreign Policy: Defend the American Dream..US frees Europe in WW II

48

Not long ago, the American dream was a global dream


. Not only Americans saw themselves as a beacon unto nations. So did much of the rest of the world.

49

What is happening to the American Dream?


Prosperity?

50

Intolerable inequality?
The US ranks 24th in the world in income disparity. In the United States, inequality once seemed tolerable because America was the land of equal opportunity. But this is no longer so.

51

What is happening to the American Dream of Democracy?


Democracy? Much in American law and society troubles Europeans these days.
Nearly all countries reject the United States right to bear arms as a quirky and dangerous anachronism. They abhor the death penalty and demand broader privacy protections. All thiscontributes to the growing sense that American law, once the world standard, has become provincial.

52

53

The European Dream Equality and Community


Prosperity is Quality of Life social democracy and social protectionsjob security and a social safety net Focus on primary education, Higher taxes for regulation in order to bolster their quality of life. In Europe, work to live replaces live to work.

54

The Good Life: Work to Live

55

European Democracy: The World is looking to Europe as the Model


Now.When nations write a new constitution, as dozens have in the past two decades, they look to the European model . The Czechs adopted European-style parliament The provisional government in Kosovo opted for a European constitution. South Africa rejected American-style federalism in favor of a German model,

56

Jeremy Rifkins view of The European Dream,

57

Not so fast..
The case for Europes Power and the promise of its Dream may be overstated. Above I said that the European Union has a combined gross domestic product that is approximately the same as that of the United States.
But the EU has 170 million more people. Its per capita GDP is 25 percent lower than that of the U.S. that gap has been widening for 15 years.

58

Not so rich..
Present trend: In 20 years the average American will be twice as rich as the average German This will translate into worse social services in Europe. 40% of Swedish households would rank as low-income in the US.

59

Environmental Problems still plague Europe

60

Nonetheless.The European Union is the most


highly evolved example of regional integration in the world.

61

You might also like