Fabian Endres

Old friends in troubled waters : policy principles, elites, and U.S.-German relations at the citizen level after the Cold War

At the beginning of the 21st century, German-American relations resemble a roller coaster ride: The terror attacks of 9/11 led to a wave of solidarity among German citizens. While America’s reputation dwindled due to the war in Iraq, the election of Barack Obama led to waves of enthusiasm. Against the backdrop of Germany’s new role in the world, this book analyzes American and German citizens’ responses to changes in the international system in the post-Cold War era and their repercussions on the transatlantic relationship at citizen level. The evidence reveals transatlantic disagreement over core foreign policy postures, particularly the use of military force. Whether such cultural differences can seriously undermine transatlantic relations is conditional upon elite behavior.

Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik aus Sicht der Bürger. Theoretische Perspektiven und ein Überblick über den Forschungsstand

Wie in allen anderen Politikfeldern auch sind Entscheidungen in der Ausenund Sicherheitspolitik der Kontrolle der Burger unterworfen. Allerdings traf die Demokratisierung politischer Entscheidungen auf diesem Gebiet auf besonders grose Widerstande, sodass die Ausen- und Sicherheitspolitik als „letzte Bastion vordemokratischer ‚Kabinettspolitik‘“ erscheinen konnte (Rattinger 2007: 314; siehe Hellmann et al. 2007: 20 f.). Vorbehalte gegen eine demokratische Offnung erwuchsen nicht nur aus einem prinzipiellen Unwillen etablierter Eliten, Burger auf diesem Gebiet mitreden zu lassen. Vielmehr trugen auch Zweifel an den vermuteten vorteilhaften Wirkungen einer Demokratisierung ausen- und sicherheitspolitischer Entscheidungen dazu bei.

On the relationship between strategic cultures and support for European defence: A comment on Irondelle, Mérand and Foucault

Recent developments at its borders have reasserted the question whether and how the European Union (EU) should further its integration in the domain of foreign and security policy. Especially, the unfolding of the Ukraine crisis has led many observers, politicians and pundits alike, to put the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), as well as its major sub-component, the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), back onto the agenda.1 The EUs (foreign policy) decision to offer and encourage an Association Agreement was a decisive element in triggering the internal turmoil in Ukraine; as events were unfolding, the degree and kind of involvement of the EU in the crisis was subjected to political debate; and the behaviour of Russia, which elicited concern in many Eastern European countries for their own security, posed security and defence questions the EU had not been confronted with since the rise of international terrorism, if ever. As the issue of European defence gains salience politically, the European publics preferences regarding this issue gains relevance as well. What are the determinants of public support for European defence, and what do citizens want it to look like, specifically?