Suchergebnisse

In analyzing European institutional structures, the multilevel governance literature speaks of mutual interdependence, of cooperative & coordinated processes between different levels of authority. The emergence of these processes is sometimes associated with the disappearance of hierarchical relationships organized across vertical channels of communication. This type of hierarchy, which is declared "eroded," is not further specified. In the first part of the article, a definition of hierarchy is given & an attempt is made to develop a diversified concept of hierarchy consisting of two types: unilateral & asymmetrically interdependent. The second part applies this modified concept of hierarchy to relationship structures in those federations that are part of the European multilevel polity, & examines the types of hierarchy that exist between federal & federated levels when the latter act within the European framework. The external policies of German & Belgian federated units are analyzed in a comparative perspective. Adapted from the source document.

In this article, multilevel governance (MLG) is problematized & treated as a dependent variable. It is argued that processes of globalization shed considerable light on the development of MLG. In order to conceptualize "globalization," I turn to the field of international political economy, specifically, neo-Gramscian critical theory. Since critical theory seems to outline -- above all -- the distinctive political & policy aspects of globalization, the approach gives way to the development of a causal link between globalization & governance. The relevance of globalization to governance & MLG is further shown by elaborating on a particular level of governance: the subnational sphere of the city. It is concluded that critical theory is indeed relevant in explaining globalization & governance, & that a macroperspective can be used in conjunction with a more meso-style, MLG approach. Adapted from the source document.

The general question of this theoretical reflection concerns the impact of the multilevel organization of policy processes for the division of power between collective social actors. First, we deal with the shrinking of the political capacity in the contemporary era of post-Fordism & deterritorialization. In this framework, attention is paid to the ideological significance of governance. Using the concept of "jumping of scales," we then consider the different consequences of the sui generis European multilevel setting for organized labor & capital, which serves as a case study for our general proposition. Multilevel governance is looked on as a new gestalt of scales that hinders some actors but enables others to build their own jumping-strategy between the different levels. The conclusion is that the European multilevel setting is the result of, as well as the platform of, power relations. Adapted from the source document.

This introductory article sketches the problematique of this special issue on 'Subsidiarity in the European Union and beyond'. It starts with a short historical overview of the origins, meanings and implementation of the subsidiarity principle within the EU. Subsequently, it problematizes the concept and application of subsidiarity in a multilevel governance context by examining two fundamental characteristics of this essentially contested concept that render it fascinating to study: its complexity and power-relevance. The relatively new concept of global subsidiarity is briefly discussed to situate the intra-EU discussion in a wider context. This introduction ends by discussing some of the findings of the special issue's two substantial articles -- that both deal with policy topics in which different competence regimes meet -- in light of the subsidiarity problematique. Adapted from the source document.