As the inter-institutional dynamics of the Union shift in response to the euro crisis, the very legitimacy of the EU is being challenged as never before.
As the EU enters uncharted waters, the European Institute research cluster on Governance and Democracy in the European Union examines the politics, processes, institutions and norms of the European Union as well as the relationship between the EU, its member states and domestic politics.
We also address long-standing and unresolved debates on the democratic dimension of European politics and governance. This research includes work on: the public’s perception of and reactions to EU politics; transparency and accountability in EU policy-making; and the responsiveness of EU decision-makers to public opinion. In the context of the euro crisis in Europe and beyond, we look specifically at how the crisis is shaping EU governance, domestic politics and public attitudes towards the Union.
Highlights
Prime Ministers in Greece: The Paradox of Power
by Kevin Featherstone and Dimitris Papadimitriou
Prime Ministers in Greece: The Paradox of Power is concerned with a large question in one small, but highly problematic case: how can a prime minister establish control and coordination across his or her government?
The Greek system of government sustains a 'paradox of power' at its very core. The Constitution provides the prime minister with extensive and often unchecked powers. Yet, the operational structures, processes and resources around the prime minister undermine their power to manage the government. Through a study of all main premierships between 1974 and 2009, Prime Ministers in Greece argues that the Greek prime minister has been 'an emperor without clothes'. The costs of this paradox included the inability to achieve key policy objectives under successive governments and a fragmented system of governance that provided the backdrop to Greece's economic meltdown in 2010.
The Meaning of Partisanship
by Jonathan White and Lea Ypi
For a century at least, parties have been central to the study of politics. Yet their typical conceptual reduction to a network of power-seeking elites has left many to wonder why parties were ever thought crucial to democracy. This book seeks to retrieve a richer conception of partisanship, drawing on modern political thought and extending it in the light of contemporary democratic theory and practice. Looking beyond the party as organization, the book develops an original account of what it is to be a partisan. It examines the ideas, orientations, obligations, and practices constitutive of partisanship properly understood, and how these intersect with the core features of democratic life. Such an account serves to underline in distinctive fashion why democracy needs its partisans, and puts in relief some of the key trends of contemporary politics.
Democratic Politics in a European Union Under Stress
Edited by Olaf Cramme and Sara Hobolt
This book offers the first comprehensive political analysis of the Euro crisis that erupted in Greece in 2010 and subsequently threatened the very survival of the Euro area. It has left a profound mark on democratic politics all over Europe, changing public attitudes and voting preferences, institutional and societal norms, and deeply anchored political traditions.
Key Research Themes
- EU institutional Politics and Governance
- Crisis Politics in the European Union
- Brexit
- Democratic Deficit of the EU
- Public Opinion, Elections and Politicization of the EU
- Law, Politics and European Courts
- The Politics of Europeanisation
- Mobility, Migration and Integration
- The Role of National Parliaments in the EU
Tilley, James, Neundorf, Anja and Hobolt, Sara (2017) 'When the Pound In People's Pocket Matters: how changes to personal financial circumstances affect party choice' The Journal of Politics (In Press).
De Vries, Catherine, Hobolt, Sara and Tilley, James (2017) 'Facing Up To the Facts: what causes economic perceptions?' Electoral Studies, 51.
Høyland, Bjørn, Hobolt, Sara and Hix, Simon (2017) 'Career Ambitions and Legislative Participation: the moderating effect of electoral institutions' British Journal of Political Science, doi:10.1017/S0007123416000697.
Hagemann, Saara and Franchino, Fabio (2016) ‘Transparency Vs Efficiency? A study of negotiations in the Council of the European Union’ European Union Politics, DOI:10.1177/1465116515627017.
Hagemann, Sara, Hobolt, Sara and Wratil, Christopher (2017) 'Government Responsiveness In the European Union: evidence from council voting' Comparative Political Studies, 50 (6).
Kleine, Mareike and Minaudier, Clement (2017) 'Negotiating Under Political Uncertianty: national elections and the dynamics of international co-operation' British Journal of Political Science, doi:10.1017/S000712341600051X.
White, Jonathan (2017) ‘The Party in Time’ British Journal of Political Science, 47 (4).
White, Jonathan (2017) ‘Principled Disobedience in the EU’ Constellations, 24 (4).
White, Jonathan and Ypi, Lea (2017) ‘The Politics of Peoplehood’ Political Theory, 45 (4).
White, Jonathan (2017) ‘Revisionism as a Logic of Institutional Change’ European Law Journal, 23 (5).
- Sara Hagemann, Assistant Professor
- Sara Hobolt, Sutherland Chair in European Institutions
- Mareike Kleine, Associate Professor of EU and International Politics
- Jonathan White, Professor of Politics
Academics in the "Governance and Democracy in the European Union" stream provide expertise on numerous issues: national elections; Brexit; public opinion; legislative behaviour; political parties and EU institutions.
Our academic staff contribute to public debate in the Guardian and the Financial Times, VoteWatch Europe and blogs including The Conversation, openDemocracy and The UK in a Changing Europe. They provide expertise to parliamentary committees in the UK and Denmark. They disseminate their research in conferences and educational fora in the UK, Europe and the United States.