This is the paper from POLS 3210 Class. Europeanization

Europeanization
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Institutional Affiliation
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Europeanization
According to Olsen (2002), Europeanization was a popular concept for which there were numerous definitions. The author further argued that given the uncertainty surrounding the concept, Europeanization was not worth bothering with. However, various scholars claimed that Europeanisation was an essential concept that needed further exploration and conceptualization. Ladrech (1994) offered a starting point when he stated that Europeanisation takes place the political dynamics of the European Union (EU) are integrated into the logical and norms of the domestic policy-making. The author further indicated that Europeanization is an incremental process that seeks to reorient the shape and direction of the local political and economic dynamics towards the national policies. In the same fashion, Featherstone and Kazamias (2001) indicated that Europeanization was a dynamic process which unfolded over time. The researchers further proposed that the concept entailed the aspects of both the domestic and EU levels of policy-making and indicated that the two are interdependent. Later, Gamble (2002) argued that Europeanisation takes place when distinct modes of the EU governance transform some of the aspects of domestic policies. In other words, the concept of Europeanization seeks to align domestic policies to fit the mode of EU governance. In essence, Europeanization indicates the construction of a European polity and the emergence of European-level political processes.
Various theories exist which endeavor to explain the process of Europe integration. These theories strife to explain how and why the EU came to existence and how it is currently. Theories are critical because they assist individuals to understand the functioning of the EU which assists in hypothesizing how the EU might be going forward. It is crucial to know the various approaches individuals take when explaining the process Europeanization. The concept of new institutionalism has been widely employed to describe the process of Europeanization. It stresses the role of institutions in the integration process. Institutionalism was developed in the 1980s to explain the behavior of the US Congress but has since been utilized to explain Europeanization. New institutionalism encompasses three main ideas which include rational choice, historical and sociological. This paper seeks to conceptualize Europeanization within the framework of the new institutionalism and provide an understanding of European integration. To achieve this objective, the paper compares and contrasts three major frameworks of institutionalism. Further, the paper indicates how the UK has adapted to the EU and how the concept of Europeanization has impacted on the domestic policies of the country.
Rational choice institutionalism
Rational choice institutionalism assumes that the actors (institutions, organizations, and individuals) are ultimately rational. The actors have a set of predetermined preferences which are hierarchically ordered. All the actors are aware of all the possible actions they can undertake and the potential outcomes of each action (Schmidt, 2011). They base their decisions and hierarchical order on that knowledge. In that regard, it can be argued that the members of the EU are aware of the consequences of their actions and they made a rational choice to become members. Europeanization is not by compulsion since states have an option to remain as non-members.
A transaction-cost approach is another concept of the rational choice institutionalism. In addition to being informed about potential actions, solutions, and outcomes, the actors are also aware of the transaction costs of the process. Considering the transactional-cost approach, it is possible to see why the member countries agreed to supranational cooperation. According to Endl (2017), the world is becoming complex with the so called “wicked problems” which surpass geographical and policy area boundaries. These problems are difficult and costly to solve for the individual states. As a result, it is paramount to integrate and address the problems as opposed to solving them as individual states. Further, the rational actors are aware that their predefined preferences are more easily addressed by having supranational cooperation with the other states. For example, integration allows members states to remove trade barriers which are otherwise costly. Free movement of goods make trade easier and cost-effective compared to when the individual countries have closed their bounders.
Historical institutionalism
It focuses on the effects of institutions for a period of time. It indicates how these institutions can restrain the activities of the actors (Steinmo, 2008). The actors are rational, but they are also bound by historical consequences which their actions might entail. A critical feature of historical institutionalism is the path of dependency, where the decisions made in the past about the institutions have an impact on the future outcomes, and it is challenging to reverse them. For example, becoming a member of the EU may include agreeing to adhere to the monetary policy cooperation outlined for the member states. The agreements lock-in the actors based on the choices they make. As a result, the most rational and cost-effective course of action in the future will be to continue on the same path that they began. The tree analogy demonstrates the concept of dependency more appropriately. A trunk may have both smaller and bigger branches. Although a climber has the option of climbing back down or move to another branch, the climber is likely to continue on the branch on which it started. Doing this would be more cost-efficient and also the fastest way of getting to the top.
Historical institutionalism also involves a democratic aspect. It is essential to determine whether it is democratic for elected officials to initiate cooperations which would in the future constrict the leaders who might not be in favor of the given corporation. Hence, the national actors have an opportunity to affect the decisions made at the European level. Such actions ensure that there is a bottom-up process for the EU members get opportunities that would not otherwise exist if they are not on the path of membership. The process also provides future elected officials with multiple choices and opportunities which they would initially lack. The process of Europeanization also includes three T’s which ate time, timing and tempo (Radaelli, 2002). The three T’s are essential especially during the accession of new members. The time of applying for membership matters. For example, domestic events may positively or negatively affect the perception of membership. Where the citizens have a positive attitude towards membership to the EU, then it is easier for a state to become a member. On the contrary, where citizens have developed a negative attitude towards membership, the process of Europeanization is difficult. The timing of applying for the membership is also essential. For example, the CEE countries were required to undertake more necessary changes before becoming members compared to the other states. Regarding tempo, the Nordic wave entailed countries which had established democracies and functional economies hence accession was more rapid compared to the CEE wave.
Sociological institutionalism
Sociological institutionalism emphasizes the broader norms and general rules (Diogo, Carvalho, and Amaral, 2015). It indicates how norms and rules shape the identities and preferences of the participants in the integration process. The strand considers how sociological changes impact on the interests of the actors. The Europeanization of actors values and norms may contribute to changes in the hierarchy of the material interests. The length of membership in the EU is critical in determining the particular changes. The length of non-membership may determine if a new member joins the EU. For example, the Norwegian citizens are more likely to oppose EU membership because they have been non-members for a long time. On the contrary, the length of membership may acc...