European Multi-Level Governance - Contrasting Images in National Research

Governing beyond the nation state in multi-level governance systems is a key concern in Europe, and this book goes beyond the usual approach of merely describing characteristics and features in its in-depth exploration of EU governance. The contributors illustrate that multi-level governance is a phenomenon perceived differently all over Europe. They observe distinct variations not only in the real-life impact of EU governance but also in different national research approaches, and showcase systematic empirical analyses of pertinent research projects across Europe. Recent advances in EU governance research form the basis for suggestions on how future research agendas could and should be directed. This book will prove a fascinating read for academics, researchers and students with an interest in comparative governance, EU studies, and the social sciences.

Preface: The White Paper on EU Governance: An Innovative Initiative? Jérôme Vignon Introduction: Research on EU Multi-Level Governance Beate Kohler-Koch and Fabrice Larat PART I: EU MULTI-LEVEL GOVERNANCE AS A TOPIC OF RESEARCH 1. A Futile Quest for Coherence: The Many Frames of EU Governance Beate Kohler-Koch and Berthold Rittberger 2. Travelling Concepts: EU Governance in the Social Sciences Literature Joan O’Mahony and Jim Ottaway PART II: REFLECTING THE DIVERSITY OF RESEARCH TRADITIONS 3. United Kingdom and Ireland: Leading in Governance Research Simon Bulmer 4. German Governance Research: Advanced but Mono-Disciplinary Beate Kohler-Koch 5. The Netherlands and Norway: Strong in Governance Research Nico Groenendijk, Martin Rosema, Jacques Thomassen, Ramses Wessel and Ulf Sverdrup 6. Small Countries with Vivid Social Science Traditions: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland Stefanie Edler-Wollstein and Gerda Falkner 7. Europe’s South: Similarities and Differences in Governance Research Fabrice Larat 8. Research on EU Governance in Central and Eastern Europe: National Specificities and a Common Legacy Josef Niznik and Krzysztof Iszkowski 9. Researching Governance in a Multinational Environment: The European University Institute Sandra Eckert PART III: TRENDS AND PATTERNS IN RESEARCH 10. Trends and Patterns in Governance Research: What Do the GovData Tell Us? Fabrice Larat and Thomas Schneider 11. EU Governance: Where Do We Go From Here? Johan P. Olsen Annex Index