New Constitutionalism: Theorizing European Integration
In “Theorizing European Integration: The Case for a Transnational Critical Approach,” Apeldoorn, Overbeek, and Ryner argue that orthodox approaches to European regional integration, such as realism, liberalism, constructivism, and traditional Marxism, overlook the diffused power of elite consensus. They believe Neo-Gramscian approaches can reveal the agency of elite interests, and their formation of a neo-liberal hegemonic bloc supporting integration schemes. Stephen Gill has applied this perspective to explain regional integration schemes with the theoretical framework of New Constitutionalism. Yet other Neo-Gramscians contend that New Constitutionalism is pessimistically determinist, focusing solely on the agency of a liberal elite while overlooking the agency displayed by progressive social forces in formulating regional integration policy.
Review – In My Time
Dick Cheney served as Vice President during one of the most controversial U.S. administrations in history. Those hoping for a greater insight into this divisive period, or wanting to better understand Cheney, will be disappointed by a memoir that offers little more than was already known.
MORE THAN TEN MONTHS TO GO
The US presidential election is more than ten months off and it is going to be, to borrow a phrase from the unloved Donald Rumsfeld, a long, hard slog to get there. The Republican nominee is yet to emerge from the messy competition that began months ago and seems likely to stretch on for months more.
Review – No Higher Honour
While Rice frequently exercises her right to settle scores and set the record straight, there are no revisions to the controversial foreign policy record of the Bush years.
The Key To Constitution Making In Turkey
The constitutional process is slowly but surely becoming a catch all answer to many of Turkey’s ills. The coming months will witness a crucially important debate about a renewed social contract. Turkey’s challenge will be to engineer the required popular consensus in an increasingly polarized political atmosphere.
Iran shaken by electoral earthquake
This presidential election is like an earthquake which sets new limits for political factionism in Iran and without any doubt, this earthquake will be followed by many aftershocks shaking the ruling structure in the Islamic State.
Measuring Implicit Identification with the EU and its Effects
Following the failure of the Constitutional Treaty, the EU has engaged in an effort to bring itself closer to the people. The role that functional and symbolic identity triggers can play in overcoming historical divides and in generating a sense of identification is of high significance.
A Response to the World Development Report 2012
The report claims to be able to form arguments and reach conclusions which extend beyond the economic realm. Yet, the failure to see gender equality as an “end” as well as a “means”, and the financial language used throughout demonstrate that the authors have been limited by their discipline more than they would like to admit.
The Children of Riots: Society, Violence and the Youth in Greece
Police brutality is now part of everyday life in Greece. Violence from extreme political circles of all directions is on the rise, and an overall feeling of everyone-against-everyone makes evident the crumbling of Greek society.Thus, the only thing that Greek Police seem to be good at is to provoke indignation.
THE FORMULA FOR AMERICAN ISOLATIONISM
I prefer to call it Restraint, but let’s be clear, by whatever label America is pulling back. The oceans are big and protect America from much of the world’s turmoil. Being on American side of them is cheaper than being on the other side and wiser too. America is coming home thanks to the government’s budget deficit.
