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.
1. Introduction: What is Europe?
2. Political and Economic Development in Western and Eastern Europe
3. The Institutions and Policies of the European Union
4. Parliaments and Electoral Systems
5. Executive Authority in Europe
6. Legal Structures and Judicial Systems
7. Political Parties and Elections
8. Political Culture and Political Behavior
9. Economic Issues in Europe
10. Immigration and Multi-Culturalism
11. European Security and Foreign Policy
12. Possible Scenarios and Final Questions
Biography
Paul Kubicek is Professor of Political Science at Oakland University, USA.
"The third edition of European Politics stands out in several ways. It is organized by themes instead of countries. The various chapters focus on the relationship between the European Union and its member states, covering East and West, and looks beyond Europe. Finally, the book deals with the major challenges European politics has been facing in the past years, including separatism, national populism, mass migration, and the COVID-19 pandemic."
Tanja A. Börzel, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
"In this new edition of European Politics, Paul Kubicek presents an insightful and well-written overview of politics in Europe. But he goes beyond that, to address the question: As the European Union countries face the challenges of COVID-19, economic stagnation, authoritarian xenophobic politics and covert Russian intervention, is Brexit the beginning of the of the end of the European project—or can Europe relaunch itself, as it has in the past?"
Ronald F. Inglehart, University of Michigan, USA.
"A very useful and highly readable textbook on European politics."
Jeffrey Kopstein, University of California, Irvine, USA.
"Professor Kubicek's text is an ideal introduction to the complexities and contradictions of European politics. Its thematic approach encourages comparison and analysis, and the work grapples with the most timely issues facing the region. It is without a doubt the most sophisticated and student-centered work in the field."
Patrick H. O'Neil, University of Puget Sound, USA.
