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Using Europe: Strategic Action in Multi-Level Politics

Author

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  • Cornelia Woll

    (CERI - Centre de recherches internationales (Sciences Po, CNRS) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Sophie Jacquot

    (CEE - Centre d'études européennes et de politique comparée (Sciences Po, CNRS) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

This article examines the importance of action-theoretical considerations in European studies. By outlining the notion of "usage" of the European Union, we argue for a more systematically sociological consideration of strategic action in the study of European transformations. The recent turns towards constructivism and comparative political sociology allow analyzing the rationality of political actors without falling in the trap of overly reductionist rational choice assumptions. Concentrating on intentional action helps to reveal the importance of three aspects of the multi-level polity: (1) informal and non-constraining procedures, (2) the effects of ways in which actors move in between the different levels of the European political system, and (3) the ambiguous and often surprising coalitions that come together despite often considerable disagreement over their final goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Cornelia Woll & Sophie Jacquot, 2010. "Using Europe: Strategic Action in Multi-Level Politics," Post-Print hal-01023857, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01023857
    DOI: 10.1057/cep.2010.7
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://sciencespo.hal.science/hal-01023857
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Tanja A. Börzel & Digdem Soyaltin, 2012. "Europeanization in Turkey - Stretching a Concept to its Limits?," KFG Working Papers p0036, Free University Berlin.
    3. Ekaterina Domorenok & Andrea Prontera, 2021. "Governing by Enabling in Multilevel Systems: Capacity Building and Local Climate Action in the European Union," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(6), pages 1475-1494, November.
    4. Schreiber, Tim, 2017. "Post-crisis economic policy coordination in the EU: The European Semester as trigger for the Europeanization of national policies? An analysis of the European Semester's impact on French environmental," PIPE - Papers on International Political Economy 29/2017, Free University Berlin, Center for International Political Economy.
    5. Esther Ademmer, 2011. "You Make Us Do What We Want! The Usage of External Actors and Policy Conditionality in the European Neighborhood," KFG Working Papers p0032, Free University Berlin.
    6. Sabine Saurugger, 2016. "Sociological Approaches to the European Union in Times of Turmoil," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(1), pages 70-86, January.
    7. Thomas Prosser, 2017. "Explaining Implementation through Varieties of Capitalism Theory: The Case of the Telework and Work-related Stress Agreements," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), pages 889-908, July.
    8. Prontera, Andrea & Plenta, Peter, 2020. "Catalytic Power Europe and gas infrastructural policy in the Visegrad countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    9. Roberto Scaramuzzino & Magnus Wennerhag, 2015. "Civil Society Organizations Going European?," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(2), pages 21582440155, June.
    10. Sascha Zirra, 2010. "The Bounded Creativity of Domestic Appropriation Explaining Selective Flexicurity in Continental Countries," Les Cahiers européens de Sciences Po 2, Centre d'études européennes (CEE) at Sciences Po, Paris.
    11. Seeliger, Martin, 2017. "Die soziale Konstruktion organisierter Interessen: Gewerkschaftliche Positionsbildung auf europäischer Ebene," Schriften aus dem Max-Planck-Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung Köln, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, volume 89, number 89.
    12. Katharina Zimmermann, 2016. "Local Responses to the European Social Fund: A Cross-City Comparison of Usage and Change," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(6), pages 1465-1484, November.
    13. Daniel Mertens & Matthias Thiemann, 2019. "Building a hidden investment state? The European Investment Bank, national development banks and European economic governance," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-01621785, HAL.
    14. Bernhard Zeilinger, 2021. "Die Wirkmächtigkeit des Europäischen Semesters und ihre Auswirkung auf die Interessensvertretung durch Arbeitnehmer:innenverbände," Working Paper Reihe der AK Wien - Materialien zu Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft 231, Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Wien, Abteilung Wirtschaftswissenschaft und Statistik.
    15. Kantola, Johanna, 2014. "The paradoxical gendered consequences of the EU policy on multiple discrimination: The Nordic case," European Integration online Papers (EIoP), European Community Studies Association Austria (ECSA-A), vol. 18, November.
    16. Isabelle Guinaudeau & Anna M Palau, 2016. "A matter of conflict: How events and parties shape the news coverage of EU affairs," European Union Politics, , vol. 17(4), pages 593-615, December.
    17. Antoaneta Dimitrova & Aron Buzogány, 2014. "JCMS Special Issue 2014: Eastern Enlargement Ten Years On: Transcending the East-West Divide? Guest Editors: Rachel A. Epstein and Wade Jacoby," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(1), pages 139-156, January.
    18. Angelos-Stylianos Chryssogelos, 2017. "Transnational European Party Federations as EU Foreign Policy Actors: The Activities of Europarties in Eastern Partnership States," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(2), pages 257-274, March.
    19. Sanchez Salgado, Rosa, 2013. "From ‘talking the talk’ to ‘walking the walk’: Implementing the EU guidelines on employment through the European Social Fund," European Integration online Papers (EIoP), European Community Studies Association Austria (ECSA-A), vol. 17, June.
    20. Gergana Noutcheva, 2016. "Societal Empowerment and Europeanization: Revisiting the EU's Impact on Democratization," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(3), pages 691-708, May.
    21. Sergio González Begega & Eloisa Del Pino, 2017. "From letting Europe in to policy conditionality. Welfare reform in Spain under Austerity," Working Papers 1701, Instituto de Políticas y Bienes Públicos (IPP), CSIC.
    22. Dewey, Matías & Woll, Cornelia & Ronconi, Lucas, 2021. "The political economy of law enforcement," MaxPo Discussion Paper Series 21/1, Max Planck Sciences Po Center on Coping with Instability in Market Societies (MaxPo).

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