Kennet Lynggaard

The institutional construction of a policy field: a discursive institutional perspective on change within the common agricultural policy

ABSTRACT This paper explores the dynamics giving momentum to the institutional construction of a policy field. This objective is pursued through the study of a case: the articulation and institutionalization of a policy field concerned with organic farming within the auspices of the common agricultural policy (CAP) of the European Union (EU) from 1980 to 2003. Applying a discursive institutional analytical framework focusing on the dynamics of institutional change it is concluded that – when it comes to the study of ideas – perhaps: (1) the CAP is not as sectorized a policy field as it is commonly considered to be, and (2) the European Parliament also has a role to play as an agent of change within the CAP.

The Logic of Policy Development: Lessons Learned from Reform and Routine within the CAP 1980–2003

Abstract With the point of departure in the otherwise extensive knowledge on reform and routine within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union (EU), this paper argues that: (1) in order to fully appreciate the insights provided we need to look into the complementary nature of ideational and interest‐based approaches; and (2) lessons can be learned by comparing several (here, three of five) reform attempts and by pointing out the importance of periods in between reforms (here, covering a time horizon stretching from 1980 to 2003). Against this background, the paper offers a comprehensive logic of policy development that may be used for other areas of study, which both draws on the insights into bargaining processes as offered by rational choice institutional theory and the insight into arguing processes as offered by constructivist approaches.

Explaining Policy Responses to Danish and Irish Banking Failures during the Financial Crisis

The 2008 global financial crisis produced very different responses in Ireland and Denmark. While both countries embraced depositor guarantee schemes and recapitalisation programmes, these were designed and adopted in significantly different ways. Crucially, the Irish state initially assumed full responsibility for sector losses and only later defined terms for industry contributions. In Denmark, a negotiated settlement from the outset transferred most of the risk associated with banking failures collectively to the banking sector. The article assesses two explanations for these different responses: (1) variations in domestic exposure to the financial industry, notably its relative size, dominant business models and exposure to real estate markets and (2) variations in institutional features, notably banking sector preferences and legacies of collective action. While limited explanatory power can be attributed to the former, collaborative legacies decisively swayed policy responses in Denmark and Ireland in the hectic weeks of late September and early October 2008.

Research methods in European Union studies

PART I: OVERVIEW 1. Crossroads in European Union Studies Kennet Lynggaard, Karl Lofgren and Ian Manners 2. Methodology in European Union Studies Ben Rosamond 3. European Union History Ann-Christina L. Knudsen PART II: MICRO-ANALYSIS 4. European Identity: Conflict and Cooperation Angela Bourne 5. People and Social Groups in the European Union Michael Strange 6. Single Policy Study: Three Variations in Design Annica Kronsell and Ian Manners 7. Analysing European Discourses Amandine Crespy PART III: MESO-ANALYSIS 8. Agenda-setting Sebastiaan Princen 9. Studies of Bargaining in the European Union Sara Hagemann 10. Implementation Studies: Beyond a Legalistic Approach Karl Lofgren 11. Analysing Networks Jenny M. Lewis and Sevasti Chatzopoulou 12. Visual Primes and European Union Identity: Designing Experimental Research Laura Cram and Stratos Patrikios 13. Europeanisation Theofanis Exadaktylos and Claudio M. Radaelli PART IV: MACRO-ANALYSIS 14. The European Union in Global Politics: Normative Power and Longitudinal Interpretation Ian Manners 15. The Blurred Boundaries and Multiple Effects of European Integration and Globalisation Kennet Lynggaard 16. Hard and Soft Governance Martino Maggetti 17. Political Parties and the European Union Magnus Blomgren 18. Studying European Union Attitude Formation Using Experiments Julie Hassing Nielsen 19. European Union Studies and the New Regionalism Alex Warleigh-Lack 20. Research Strategies in European Union Studies: Beyond Dichotomies Ian Manners, Kennet Lynggaard, and Karl Lofgren

Research Strategies in European Union Studies: Beyond Dichotomies

The contributing chapters of this book all illustrate the richness and diversity of problem-driven research in EU studies. This concluding chapter draws together the insights of this rich diversity in order to move the study of research strategies beyond the dichotomies of the past towards a new agenda for research on Europe. The crisis gripping the EU in the 21st century is not just an economic crisis, it is a crisis of belief in the EU. Research on the EU is deeply implicated in this crisis, not least because of the questions it does not ask, but also because of the perceived weakness of demonstrating the methods and evidence used. A new agenda for research on Europe needs to acknowledge these weaknesses of the past and move beyond dichotomies towards greater openness and awareness of the importance of research strategies, designs and methods. In many respects this agenda has its origins in Rosamond’s (2008) call for ‘open political science’ in EU studies, as has been discussed here in his Chapter 2 on methodology in EU studies. Hence, the new agenda for research on Europe should be ‘open’ in the sense that it respects a plurality of methods; it is inclusive of the broadest range of single-, inter- and transdisciplinary EU studies; and it embraces critical and normative thinking about the EU and EU studies (Rosamond, 2008: 603; Manners, 2007; see also Warleigh-Lack’s Chapter 19 in this volume).

Crossroads in European Union Studies

EU studies is at a crossroads where the many disciplinary interests in Europe meet, as well as temporally where the past weaknesses of methodology meet the future challenges of a new research agenda on Europe. These weaknesses emanate from a number of traditional research design dichotomies in EU studies: Research ontology. Do we approach our research through rationalist or constructivist assumptions about EU affairs? Research epistemology. Is our ultimate knowledge ambition to formulate explanatory theories capturing EU affairs? Or is our research a process of conceptual (re)constructions aimed at understanding EU affairs? Research methodology. Do we best capture EU affairs through positivist and deductive research strategies, or through interpretative and inductive processes? Research methods. Do we prefer quantitative or qualitative research methods and data? We need to deal with, and seek to overcome, such traditional dichotomies to meet the future challenges of a new research agenda on Europe. Scholars within EU studies have thus become increasingly preoccupied with epistemological issues when conducting research on EU affairs (for discussions, see Manners, 2003; Jupille, 2006).

Small state strategies in emerging regional governance structures: explaining the Danish advocacy for China’s inclusion in the Arctic Council

ABSTRACT This article departs from the puzzling observation that of the five littoral arctic states the Danish realm has been the most consistent backer in China’s quest to gain observer status in the Arctic Council. Small states are generally assumed to adapt to changes in the international system such as spatial re-configurations and alterations in the distribution of capabilities. Yet Denmark’s enabling role in relation to China seems to contravene that assumption. Why would a small state invite one of the world’s leading powers to enter its regional domain while its principle allies and regional partners – including USA and Canada – were still indecisive or outright hesitant? This article explores three possible explanations for the Danish support for China: 1) a domestic politics explanation featuring strategic use of discourse to entice Chinese investments in Arctic mineral extraction. 2) a securitisation explanation suggesting that unease with growing Canadian securitisation of Arctic issues has prompted courting China as a balancing act. 3) a foreign policy identity explanation focussing on the normative desire to enmeshment China into a liberal Arctic order.

Research Design in the study of the European Neighbourhood Policy

This chapter deals with the pitfalls and pathways of research design aimed at the study of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and maps out the literature on questions of knowledge ambition, research ontology and epistemology, and choices of approaches to the research object. We include a review of traditional research designs in ENP research, through a systematic meta-analysis of a selection of the most-cited articles on the ENP. Inspired by earlier work on awareness of research design in EU studies, ENP research is categorised according to typical choices of research design in the form of dichotomous trade-offs. The chapter then discusses how individual contributions to this volume deal with research design challenges of the past and present innovative ways of studying the revised ENP.

Exploring the emotional appeal of green and social Europe myths among pan-European Union organizations

ABSTRACT This article aims to advance European integration research by exploring the emotional appeal of political myths in day-to-day European Union politics with a special focus on the reception and reproduction of myths among pan-European Union non-governmental organizations. I investigate myths associated with ‘EUROPE 2020: a European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’, adopted in early 2010. What makes Europe 2020 especially interesting here is that it draws upon and feeds into a number of myths about European integration including ‘green Europe’ and ‘social Europe’. The article argues that: (1) pan-European Union non-governmental organizations are receptive to political myths, including in the short term; (2) pan-European Union non-governmental organizations contribute to the reproduction of myths, especially already-institutionalized myths and myths that resonate with their sectoral activities; and (3) pan-European Union non-governmental organizations strategically use political myths to justify policy positions and continually mobilize desires around utopian ideals to secure organizational survival.

Assessing the EU’s Transatlantic Regulatory Powers Using the Choice of Policy Instruments as Measurement of Preference Attainment

To what extent is the European Union (EU) exercising global regulatory power? This article investigates this question through a comparative study of two significant global policy fields: data-protection and banking with a special focus on the choice of policy instruments. Both cases suggest that the actual role of the EU is more complex than either exercising or being subjected to global regulatory power. This concerns not only the relationship between the EU and the member-states. The article suggests that the EU is in a better position to conclude global regulatory deals when the negotiating competencies sit with one EU institutional actor.