Book The European Union: The the European Union and Global Capitalism : Origins, Development, Crisis PDF, MOBI, FB2
9781403997524 1403997527 During the three decades after World War II, the citizens of Western Europe experienced rapid economic development along with increased social security and entitlements. Viewed by some as a golden age, it established social rights for citizens, improved living standards, and made capitalism and democracy seem natural companions. Since then, Europes social model has come under severe pressure from a hyper-mobile, finance-led form of global capitalism that has intensified market competition and often eroded workers rights. Can the European Union be part of the solution to the challenges posed by this form of globalization or is it as increasing propositions of national electorates seem to believe part of the problem? This innovative text shows how a critical political economy perspective can shed light on this question, and it provides a broad-ranging introduction to the European Union from this perspective. It critically engages with mainstream accounts of European integration and addresses key empirical questions such as: What institutional weaknesses led to the Eurozone crisis? Which factors explain the distributive conflict between regions, states and social classes in Europe? Is the European Union really a different sort of soft power on the global stage? Combining theoretical innovation with engagement of contemporary topics in EU studies, this path-breaking text will help readers to understand the politics and history of European integration as well as to make sense of its future., This book draws on critical theory to introduce readers to ways of exploring questions about the EU from a political economy perspective, questions like: Does the EU help or hinder Europe's 'social models' to face the challenges of globalization? Does the EU represent a break from Europe's imperial past? What were the causes of the Eurozone crisis?
9781403997524 1403997527 During the three decades after World War II, the citizens of Western Europe experienced rapid economic development along with increased social security and entitlements. Viewed by some as a golden age, it established social rights for citizens, improved living standards, and made capitalism and democracy seem natural companions. Since then, Europes social model has come under severe pressure from a hyper-mobile, finance-led form of global capitalism that has intensified market competition and often eroded workers rights. Can the European Union be part of the solution to the challenges posed by this form of globalization or is it as increasing propositions of national electorates seem to believe part of the problem? This innovative text shows how a critical political economy perspective can shed light on this question, and it provides a broad-ranging introduction to the European Union from this perspective. It critically engages with mainstream accounts of European integration and addresses key empirical questions such as: What institutional weaknesses led to the Eurozone crisis? Which factors explain the distributive conflict between regions, states and social classes in Europe? Is the European Union really a different sort of soft power on the global stage? Combining theoretical innovation with engagement of contemporary topics in EU studies, this path-breaking text will help readers to understand the politics and history of European integration as well as to make sense of its future., This book draws on critical theory to introduce readers to ways of exploring questions about the EU from a political economy perspective, questions like: Does the EU help or hinder Europe's 'social models' to face the challenges of globalization? Does the EU represent a break from Europe's imperial past? What were the causes of the Eurozone crisis?