European Integration, Sovereignty, and Global Governance in International Relations

European integration

The process of industrial, political, legal, economic, social, and cultural integration of states wholly or partially in Europe.

Max Weber

A German social theorist who defined the state as a compulsory political organization with a centralized government that maintains a monopoly on the legitimate use of force within a certain territory.

Hedley Bull

A 20th century international philosopher who stated that states are independent political communities each of which possesses a government and asserts sovereignty in relation to a particular portion of the earth's surface and a particular segment of the human population.

Globalization

The rising momentum of global free-market capitalism in the final decades of the 20th century, associated with transnational enterprises and disparities between easy flows of money and commodities across international borders.

Thomas Friedman

A journalist who calls globalization the 'Golden Straitjacket' because it forces states to adopt policies that please investment houses and corporate managers.

Neoliberalism

The elevation of capitalism as a mode of production into an ethic, a set of political imperatives, and a cultural logic.

Economic sovereignty

The power of national governments to make decisions independently of those made by other governments.

Preferential Trade Areas (PTAs)

Agreements to reduce or eliminate tariff barriers on selected goods imported from other member countries within a geographical region.

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)

Agreements that eliminate import tariffs as well as import quotas between signatory countries.

Common Market (CM)

A major step towards economic integration.

Economic Union

A trading bloc with both a common market among members and a common trade policy towards non-members.

Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)

Involves a single economic market, a common trade policy, a single currency, and a common monetary policy.

Complete Economic Integration

The final stage of economic integration, where member states completely forego independence in both monetary and fiscal policies.

Political integration

The integration of components within political systems and the political processes by which social, economic, and political systems become integrated.

International legal sovereignty

The acceptance of a given state as a member of the international community.

Westphalian sovereignty

Based on the principle that one sovereign state should not interfere in the domestic arrangements of another.

Interdependence Sovereignty

The capacity and willingness to control flows of people, goods, and capital into and out of the country.

Domestic Sovereignty

The capacity of a state to choose and implement policies within its territory.

United Nations (UN)

Aims to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and promote social progress and better standards of life in greater freedom.

Global governance

The sum of laws, norms, policies, and institutions that define and mediate transboundary relations.

Factors leading to globalization

Lifting of trade barriers, liberalization of world capital markets, and swift technological progress.

Transnational issues

Problems that cannot be solved at the national level, such as poverty, environmental pollution, economic crisis, and organized crime.

Intergovernmentalism

Emphasizes the role of national states in European integration.

New Institutionalism

Emphasizes the importance of institutions in the process of European integration.

Liberal Intergovernmentalism

A political theory developed by Andrew Moravcsik that explains European integration.

Multi-level Governance (MLG)

Defined as the dispersion of authority across multiple levels of political governance.

Transnational activism

The mobilization of collective claims by actors located in more than one country.

Social Movement

Organizational structures and strategies that empower oppressed populations to mount effective challenges.

Global Justice Movement

Often labeled the anti-globalization movement by mainstream media.

Social Media

A computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas and information.