Rowman & Littlefield Publishers The European Union in International Politics: Baptism by Fire (The New International Relations of Europe)

As the world looks to Europe to take on more responsibility in international politics and security in the devastating aftermath of Bosnia and Kosovo, this pathbreaking book provides the first systematic evaluation of the political impact of the European Union (E.U.) on a global scale. Roy Ginsberg fills a vital gap by first linking the contexts and sources of E.U. foreign policy actions with the processes and outputs of decisionmaking and then examining how outsiders view the E.U. . Embedding his study within the wider international politics theoretical literature, the author combines fresh interviews with key governmental and institutional sources with case studies that document the reach of and limits to the E.U.'s political influence. This rounded and nuanced analysis will be invaluable for scholars, students, and policymakers alike seeking a current understanding of E.U. involvement in international politics. Review [An] impressive piece of scholarship. . . . Ginsberg's in-depth analysis . . . provides us with much-needed insight into specific EU actions and outcomes in the former Yugoslavia, the Middle East conflict, and relations with the United States. . . . The book makes a significant contribution to the study of the EU as an international actor.-- "Journal of Common Market Studies" A rich qualitative empirical analysis. . . . A well-researched book of impressive quality. . . . Highly recommend[ed] for its historical and empirical strength and its relevance to current world events.--Carolyn Marie Dudek "American Political Science Review" A timely and provocative study that challenges the proclivity to under or overestimate the impact of the European Union in international political affairs, Ginsberg's analysis is conceptually and empirically engaging. Simply put, his study takes the analysis of European foreign policy decision-making to a new level of theoretical and methodological rigor. There are few, if any, recent studies of European foreign policy that are as empirically and methodologically as systematic as Ginsberg's analysis. Policy-makers, both in the EU and outside the region, will make foreign decisions based upon their understanding of the EU as a foreign policy actor. They would be well advised to read Ginsberg's study before making any such decisions.-- "International Politics" Most prior scholarship on EU foreign policy has focused on the decision-making process and the sources of those decisions, or the factors that shape decision-making. Professor Ginsberg, whose book is the first to provide a comprehensive theoretical framework for studying European foreign policy, focuses instead on external political impact.-- "Insights, The Library Of Congress Professional Association" The strength of this work lies in its capacity for both synthesis and original thinking. . . . An important and excellent reminder that in the international arena [the EU] has already shed the mantle of political dwarfdom.--Lily Gardner Feldman "Race Relations Abstracts" A delightfully written, thoroughly researched, insightful account of the increasingly independent role of the EU in world affairs.--Henry Nau, George Washington University About the Author Roy H. Ginsberg is Jean Monnet Chair in European Integration Studies and Joseph C. Palamountain, Jr. Chair in Government at Skidmore College.