Date of Award
1993
Document Type
Research Paper
Abstract
The continent of Europe has undergone more dramatic changes in the past few years than it has in the last few decades. From east to west, nearly every nation has been swept up in this tide of historic transformation. Both the crumbling of the former Soviet Union and the fall of the Iron Curtain have changed the face of Europe today. Not only have the formal boundaries between east and west been dismantled, but the Cold War has drawn to a close, ushering in a new era of peace and hope. The concept of a New World Order” may be shrouded in rhetoric, yet there is evidence to suggest that increased international cooperation is at hand. Despite the ongoing conflict in Yugoslavia, new elements have begun to color international relations, perhaps signaling the end of narrow realpolitik interpretations. Europe leads the world in this revitalized integration movement. The purpose of this paper is to draw upon theories of integration which fall generally under the categories of neorealism and neofunctionalism, in order to better understand the process which has shaped the development of Europe since World War II. This theoretical discourse has heuristic value because it generated further questions and provides a framework for examining the Community’s further. The paper discusses the history of European integration and disintegration, the evolution of the european community, institutions of the european community, integration theories, maastricht in detail, neorealist evidence in maastricht, and neofunctionalist evidence in maastricht.
Recommended Citation
Shaw, M. M. (1993). The Road to European Integration: Examining the Impact of Maastricht. Retrieved from https://poetcommons.whittier.edu/scholars/368