ABSTRACT

European Politics expertly and accessibly surveys the history, institutions, and issues that are essential for understanding contemporary European politics. Exploring a central question—"what is Europe?"—this text's thematic approach helps students compare politics in individual countries and see the political big picture in the region. European Politics examines not only countries which are (or were) in the European Union but also those eligible to join, to give students the most comprehensive picture of Europe's evolution in a globalized world.

Key changes for the new edition include:

  • coverage of hot topics such as Brexit, Covid-19, rise of nationalist-populists, authoritarian developments in Hungary, Poland, and Turkey, separatism in Catalonia, refugees/migrants, environmentalism, Ukraine, Russia, US-European relations, recent elections, and security threats emanating within Europe and beyond;
  • a consolidated presentation on the European Union;
  • fully updated data and examples; and
  • a new concluding chapter recapping the main ideas and suggesting scenarios for the European project moving forward.

This timely, in-depth text will be essential reading for anyone interested in European politics.

chapter Chapter 1|25 pages

Introduction

What is Europe?

chapter Chapter 3|48 pages

Institutions and policies of the European Union

chapter Chapter 4|30 pages

Parliaments and electoral systems

chapter Chapter 5|30 pages

Executive authority in Europe

chapter Chapter 6|26 pages

Legal structures and judicial systems

chapter Chapter 7|39 pages

Political parties and elections

chapter Chapter 8|40 pages

Political culture and citizen politics

chapter Chapter 9|49 pages

Economic issues in EuropeAbstract

chapter Chapter 10|40 pages

Immigration and multi-culturalismAbstract

chapter Chapter 11|44 pages

European security and foreign policyAbstract

chapter Chapter 12|9 pages

Looking ahead: possible future scenarios