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3. EU reference books

General Information

• European Union-Power and Policy making (2005). Richardson, J. Routledge.

This is a book which provides basic information about EU history, theory, institutions, policy, relations with member states, external relations and enlargement.

• Europe recast(2004). D.Dinan. (Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan)

Offers a good description of the European Integration process which is essential to developing a real understanding of the Union

• The European Union-Economies and Policies (2007) El-Agraa, A. Cambridge University Press

This updated book delivers a general account of the Union’s political and economic dimension.

• The Government and Politics of the European Union . (2006). N. Nugent, (Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan).

This is a well known book that deals with the EU's evolution, institutions and most known policies. Moreover, this book provides an introduction to common theories.

• The Political System of the European Union . (2005). S, Hix. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan).

This book studies the EU as a political system; it includes parts on the EU government, politics and policy-making. Hix works at the famous London School of Economics and Politics Sciences and his book is regarded as an essential reading for everyone interested in the EU.

• The SAGE handbook of European Union Politics . (2007). Jorgensen, Pollack& Rosamond

This handbook “focuses on theorizing European integration; the EU as polity; politics and policy making in the EU; and the EU and the international system.” It impresses by its use of a variety of different approaches.

• Understanding the European Union .(2008), McCormick, J., Palgrave Macmillan

This book serves as a good introduction to the European Union. It is ideal for everyone who does not have any further knowledge about it and wishes to familiarise with the EU.

Specific Topics

• Democracy in Europe- The EU and National Policies . (2006). Schmidt, V.A., Oxford University Press.

This book’s main concern is the European Union’s impact on national democracies. Two of its main arguments are that the EU is developing towards a regional state and that the democratic deficit is a rather national problem.

• Euroclash- The EU, European Identity, and the Future of Europe . (2008). Fligstein, N., Oxford University Press

Firstly, this book analyzes the general impact of the establishment of the EU’s internal market on the EU economy. Secondly, the book argues that the internal market had consequences for the EU’s society. The author claims that people who benefited from the single market are likely to develop a sense of European identity whereas those, who did not benefit, are likely to be rather hostile.

• Europe in Search of Political Order. (2007). Olsen, J., P, Oxford University Press

This book offers an institutional perspective on unity/diversity, citizens/their helpers, democratic design/historical drift and the co-existence of orders

• EU Digital Copyright Law and the End User (2008). Mazziotti,G. Springer

This work is trying to make the EU’s legal copyright framework understandable.

• Explaining Institutional Change in Europe. (2007). Heritier, A., Oxford University Press

This book tries to answer the very interesting question of how and why institutions change. It provides basic information about institutional theory.

• International Relations of the European Union. (2008). Rees&Smith.

A very recent publication which is composed of a variety of different articles which aim at characterizing the EU’s relations with the rest of the world.

• Ireland and the European Union. (2008) Laffan, B. & O’Mahony, J., Palgrave Macmillan

This book analyzes the impact of EU membership on Ireland. In light of the Irish ‘no’ to the reform treaty, it might be an interesting read.

• Media technologies and democracy in an enlarged Europe. (2007). Carpentier, N., Pruulmann-Vengerfeldt, P. & Nordenstreng, K. et al., Tartu University

This work is the result of last year’s summer school held in Tartu. It includes a variety of papers arranged according to the following topics. 1/technology, democracy and policy, 2/journalism, 3/communication and participation, 4/participation and citizenship, 5/European perspectives, 6/methodologies, 7/learning and being.

Downloadable for free here

• Reclaiming the media: communication rights and democratic media roles. (2006). Cammaerts, B. & Carpentier, N.

An analysis of the relation between media and democracy in modern societies.

• Representative Government in Modern Europe: Institutions, Parties, and Governments. (2005). Gallagher, M., Laver, M., & Mair, P., McGraw Hill

This book uses a comparative approach to analyze representative government in Europe. It allows one to gain great insides into the organization of European states.

• Researching Media, Democracy and Participation . (2006) Carpentier, N., Pruulmann-Vengerfeldt, P. & Nordenstreng, K. et al., Tartu University

This book contains a variety of papers which were discussed at Tartu University’s summer school in 2006. Downloadable for free here

• The Constitutionalization of the European Union. (2007). Rittberger, B. & Schimmelfennig, F.

This work presents constitutionalization as a means of resolving the EU’s democratic deficit.

• The European Information Society: A Reality Check. (2003). Servaes, J.

This book is analyzing the eventual development of a European Information Society.

• The European Union and the public sphere- a communicative space in the making?. (2007). Fossum, J.,E.& Schlesinger, P. R., Routledge

Based on the concept of a democratic deficit, this work is discussing the possible development of a European public sphere.

• The European Union and the United States. (2008). Mc Guire, S. & Smith,M., Palgrave Macmillan

This book takes a broad interdisciplinary approach to the changing relationship between the EU and the US in the 21st century and its historical, global and domestic context. The authors focus on the contrast between the policy convergence and interdependence on the one hand and the intense competition on the other.

• Towards a Federal Europe . (2007). Trechsel, A.H., Routledge.

This is a work which is accessing the EU’s federal nature from a concrete angle.

• Towards a Sustainable Information Society. Deconstructing WSIS. (2005). Servaes, J. & Carpentier, N.

This book aims to evaluate the potentialities of both the Information Society, and the WSIS in supporting and constructing more democratic, just and developed societies

• Turkey and the European Union (2007). LaGro, E.& Jorgensen,K., E. Palgrave Macmillan

Turkey’s eventual accession to the EU is definitely one of the most debated topics. By providing in-depth information this book tries to end superficial discussions. The book is ideal for everyone who wants to gain a real idea about both sides’ motives for and consequences of an eventual accession.

• What kind of Europe?. (2005), Tsoukalis, L., Oxford University Press

As the title is already indicating, this book asks a very important question. It analyzes contradictions within European priorities and discusses possible paths for the future.

Further books can be found here