79 research outputs found
Introduction
Full text linkThe relationship between civil servants and politics is a delicate one (weber 1922), and it is well known that the formal dichotomy between the political and administrative branch is to a certain extent artificial. While some early thinkers about bureaucracy – such as wilson in the late 1880s – departed from the assumption that ‘politics’ could be clearly distinguished from ‘administration’ (wilson 1887), later scholars argued that reality was more complex. They emphasised that in day-to-day policymaking civil servants are under continuous political pressure and that politics also plays an important role at the administrative level (long 1949; simon et al 1950). In the early 1970s scholars of bureaucratic politics developed an explicit ‘bureaucratic’ politics interpretation of policymaking (allison 1971).1keywordscivil servanteuropean parliamentsocial politicisationparliamentary democracyministerial cabinetthese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves
Introduction - Teaching European Studies: Educational challenges
Full text linkThe increasing importance of the european union as a central player in both domestic and international politics since the late 1980s has given a strong boost to an academic research agenda moving beyond nation-oriented approaches (keeler 2005). This development found promptly its way into university curricula, be it in economics, law, history, political science, cultural studies, ir and other programmes. These traditional disciplines saw the raise of new courses, specialised tracks and even entire master’s programmes focusing on the impact of the eu on their respective discipline. In addition, the multifaceted character of the european integration process also led to the creation of new multi- and interdisciplinary bachelor’s, master’s and even phd programmes specifically focusing on the eu. These programmes were mostly labelled european studies or european union studies. While the term european studies could be considered to be broader in scope and reflecting an interest in the european continent in more general terms, in practice both terms are being used interchangeably. In the framework of this study, we have chosen for the most commonly used term of european studies. If the author however specifically wanted to emphasise that a programme was exclusively focusing on the eu, we have allowed for the term eu studies.keywordseuropean studyblended learningcivic educationeducational challengeeuropean integration processthese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves
Conclusion
Full text linkThe relationship between civil servants and politicians is a fascinating one. Due to their mutual interdependence, both groups are required to cooperate but at the same time there is also a continuous risk of tension and conflict. Politicians might fear being overshadowed by their technical experts while civil servants are wary of being deprived of their professional autonomy. The tension reflects a broader concern in policymaking of the often contradictory demands for both efficiency and legitimacy. For reasons of efficiency it is important that the civil service has a certain degree of independence and detachment of politics. The requirement of democratically legitimate and accountable decision making, however, asks for steering and control from the political level.keywordscivil servantadministrative leveleuropean parliamentparty membershipministerial cabinetthese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves
The Diplomatic System of the European Union: Evolution, Change and Challenges
No full textOver the past five years, the EU has established a new system of diplomacy centred on the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. This new system reflects a process of evolution in a changing context, and has been faced by major challenges since its inception. This book examines the diplomatic system of the EU, locating it within the broader study of diplomacy and the European integration project. The volume is structured around the interrelated themes of institutional change and the evolving practices of EU diplomacy. It tracks the development of the EU’s system of diplomacy, with particular reference to the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, the establishment of the EEAS and the emerging practices of EU strategic and structural diplomacy. Bringing together contributions from leading experts in the field, this book provides an original approach to the development and operation of the EU’s diplomatic system. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of European Union international relations, European Union politics and diplomacy
Resisting the European External Action Service
No full textThe article joins the discussion on the resistance to norms in Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) by focusing on the European External Action Service (EEAS). It begins by defining the norms that are associated with the EEAS as: (1) close cooperation by the Member States with the EEAS, (2) sharing information and (3) abstaining from influencing staff of one’s own nationality and Seconded National Experts (SNEs) along one’s own national interests. Then, the authors continue by analysing the types of resistance and explaining why the Member States choose to resist the norms related to the organization they had previously created with a unanimous decision. The article concludes that even if soft rules may at first seem to be less costly than hard laws, their less constraining nature does not automatically imply less resistance. All three types of instruments identified by Saurugger and Terpan in the introduction1 have been used for resistance with information and communication being the most commonly employed. Cognitive distance between the European and national level seem to have stronger explanatory value than the financial and social resources of Member States
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