Developments in West European Politics - Softcover

Politics in Western Europe is changing in dramatic and often contradictory ways. Many observers see economic globalization and increasing integration within the European Union as a challenge to the role, capacity, perhaps even the existence, of the European nation-state.
This completely new replacement volume for the highly successful Developments in West European Politics focuses centrally on four key questions about the West European state:
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What is the impact of the global and European context on the state's functioning and ability to deliver welfare and security?
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Does the state still command the loyalty of its citizens?
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Can and do state institutions deliver effective governance?
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Can the state rise to such challenges as the internationalization of crime, new patterns of migration and environmental sustainability?
The overall conclusion is that West European states have proven highly resilient in the face of such challenges. The capacities and competencies of states have evolved, and are continuing to, over time. But the specific combination of territorial organization and popular sovereignty in the West European state model remains a bulwark for legitimacy, stability, security and innovation.