Routledge Handbook of European Politics

Since the Treaty of the European Union was ratified in 1993, the European Union has become an important factor in an ever-increasing number of regimes of pooled sovereignty. This Handbook seeks to present a valuable guide to this new and unique system in the twenty-first century, allowing readers to obtain a better understanding of the emerging multilevel European governance system that links national polities to Europe and the global community. Adopting a pan-European approach, this Handbook brings together the work of leading international academics to cover a wide range of topics such as: the historical and theoretical background the political systems and institutions of both the EU and its individual member nations political parties and party systems political elites civil society and social movements in European politics the political economy of Europe public administration and policy-making external policies of the EU. This is an invaluable and comprehensive resource for students, scholars, researchers and practitioners of the European Union, European politics and comparative politics. Review "European politics involves national politics and the multi-level politics of the EU. This impressive and thorough work edited by Magone (Berlin School of Economics and Law) covers both in a balanced way. Magone rightly notes that European politics is increasingly complex and that this handbook makes no claims to be definitive. Nevertheless, it certainly supplies detailed, insightful, and valuable information across a broad range of topics, providing a historical and theoretical background and then covering EU and national political systems and institutions, political elites, party systems and political parties, public administration and policy making, political economy, civil society and social movements, and Europe and the world. What is particularly useful is the detailed referencing, including the comprehensive annotated bibliography at the end. Overall, this handbook is not an introduction to the politics of the region for lower-level undergraduate students, but it is an essential resource for senior students and scholars of European politics, European integration, and comparative politics." -A. Siaroff, The University of Lethbridge, Highly recommended in CHOICE Reviews 2015 About the Author José M. Magone is Professor in Regional and Global Governance at the Berlin School of Economics and Law.