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Membership Matters: Limits of the Functional Approach to European Institutions

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  • Wayne Snvdholtz

Abstract

Functional, transaction‐cost approaches to international institutions depict them as passive fora for bargaining among states with autonomously derived preferences. This article probes the limits of the functional, intergovernmental account of the European Union. It suggests that EU institutions can affect political behaviour and outcomes in at least three broad ways: (1) by becoming autonomous political actors; (2) by creating options for domestic actors in their choice of allies and arenas (creating ‘multi‐level politics’); and (3) by inducing changes in domestic policies and institutions. The article provides instances of each effect in the European Union. It concludes that, in order to understand how the European Union works as well as how it has evolved, analysis must move beyond the limits of the functional, intergovernmentalist approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Wayne Snvdholtz, 1996. "Membership Matters: Limits of the Functional Approach to European Institutions," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 403-429, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:34:y:1996:i:3:p:403-429
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-5965.1996.tb00579.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Hooghe, Liesbet & Marks, Gary, 1997. "The Making of a Polity: The Struggle Over European Integration," European Integration online Papers (EIoP), European Community Studies Association Austria (ECSA-A), vol. 1, April.
    2. Alasdair R. Young, 2001. "Extending European Cooperation: The European Union and the 'New' International Trade Agenda," EUI-RSCAS Working Papers 12, European University Institute (EUI), Robert Schuman Centre of Advanced Studies (RSCAS).
    3. Tanja Börzel & Thomas Risse, 2000. "International Relations Theory and European Integration," EUI-RSCAS Working Papers 56, European University Institute (EUI), Robert Schuman Centre of Advanced Studies (RSCAS).
    4. Blom, Tannelie & Radulova, Elissaveta & Arnold, Christine, 2008. "Theorizing Modes of Governance in the EU: Institutional Design and Informational Complexity," European Governance Papers (EUROGOV) 4, CONNEX and EUROGOV networks.
    5. Gerda Falkner, 2011. "Interlinking neofunctionalism and intergovernmentalism: Sidelining governments and manipulating policy preferences as "passerelles"," Working Papers of the Vienna Institute for European integration research (EIF) 3, Institute for European integration research (EIF).

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