A Political Theory of the European Union brings together political theory, international relations theory, European integration studies, comparative government, international law, and European law in an interdisciplinary theoretical approach to studying the EU within the wider, world-political context.

This book is a welcome attempt to bring together a range of different disciplinary insights with a view to developing a political theory of the European Union. The attempt is animated by both empirical and normative concerns: to better understand what kind of entity the EU is and the nature of the authority it exercises, as well as to assess the EU's claim to legitimacy and the quality of its democracy and justice. There are excellent contributions from leading scholars across the fields of international relations, law and political theory which interrogate these and other questions. While not purporting to provide a fully-fledged political theory of the EU, the book helps to identify some of the building blocks for a political theory of the EU, as well as setting out a rich array of research questions for the future. Grainne de Burca, Harvard Law School Political Theory of the European Union is highly recommended for graduate students, and for scholars studying the development of the EU. It is a refreshing contribution to this area of study and should serve to stimulate further interdisciplinary research into this ever-expanding field of study. Erwin Erhadt of Thomos More College, CritCom, A forum for Research & Commentary on Europe

Jürgen Neyer was appointed to the Chair of Political Science at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) in April 2006 where he is currently also Managing Director of the Frankfurt Institute for Transformation Studies. Before coming to Frankfurt he was a Professor of International Relations at the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University of Frankfurt (Main) (2005-06) and the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich (2004). He obtained his Habilitation at the University of Bremen in 2002 and his PhD in Political Science at the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University in 1996. He has done research at various universities including the University of California at Berkeley, the Free University of Berlin and the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. Antje Wiener was appointed to the Chair of Political Science and Global Governance at the University of Hamburg in April 2009 where she is currently also Managing Director of the Centre for Globalisation and Governance. Before coming to Hamburg she was a Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Bath (2007-09) and a Professor of International Studies at the Queen's University of Belfast where she had worked since 1999. She obtained her PhD in Political Science at Carleton University, Canada in 1996, and an MA in Political Science at the Free University of Berlin in 1989, and has taught at various universities including Stanford University, Sussex University, Carleton University, and the Free University of Berlin. She has held visiting fellowships at the Science Centre for Social Research in Berlin and at the Hanse Institute for Advanced Studies in Delmenhorst, Germany.