The European Union Decides

Extract

The European Union Decides. Edited by Robert Thomson, Frans N. Stokman, Christopher H. Achen and Thomas König. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006. 394p. $110.00 cloth, $39.99 paper.

As a new and rapidly evolving polity, with clear formalized rules and a great deal of publicly available data, the European Union presents a fascinating object of study for political scientists. Until recently, it was often treated as sui generis, the preserve of dedicated Euro-watchers. Most attention was focused on grand events—treaties, judicial cases, and individual cases of specific interest. But increasingly, the general tools of political science are being brought to bear on the EU and its activities, including humdrum ones.