The European Union and the rise of regionalist parties / Seth K. Jolly.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jolly, Seth Kincaid, 1976-

Contributor:

Michigan Publishing (University of Michigan), publisher.

Series:

New comparative politics

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Regionalism--European Union countries.

Regionalism.

European Union countries.

Political parties--European Union countries.

Political parties.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource.

Place of Publication:

Ann Arbor [Michigan] : University of Michigan Press, [2015]

System Details:

text file

Summary:

Rather than weakening the forces of nationalism among member states, the expanding power of the European Union actually fosters conditions favorable to regionalist movements within traditional nation-states. Using a cross-national, quantitative study of the advent of regionalist political parties and their success in national parliamentary elections since the 1960s, along with a detailed case study of the fortunes of the pro-independence Scottish National Party, Seth K. Jolly demonstrates that supranational integration and subnational fragmentation are not merely coincidental but related in a theoretical and predictable way. At the core of his argument, Jolly posits the Viability Theory: the theory that the EU makes smaller states more viable and more politically attractive by diminishing the relative economic and political advantages of larger-sized states. European integration allows regionalist groups to make credible claims that they do not need the state to survive because their regions are part of the EU, which provides access to markets, financial institutions, foreign policy, and other benefits. Ultimately, Jolly emphasizes, scholars and policy-makers must recognize that the benefits of European integration come with the challenge of increased regionalist mobilization that has the potential to reshape the national boundaries of Europe.

Contents:

Introduction

1. Regionalist parties in western Europe

2. The viability of regionalist parties

3. Regionalist political party success

4. Euroskeptic and Europhile regionalists

5. Public support for the EU and decentralization

Conclusion

Appendixes

A. Regionalist party vote shares, by country

B. Cultural difference by language families

C. Incidence and success

D. Survey questions.

Notes:

Issued as part of UPCC book collections on Project MUSE.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [207]-224) and index.

Description based on information from the publisher.

ISBN:

9780472121007

0472121006

9780472072590

0472072595

Publisher Number:

10.3998/mpub.7718747

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.