Governing the European Union is a completely new introductory text that is ideal for first-time students of the politics and government of the European Union (EU). Each topic is introduced thematically to provide an invaluable and accessible guide to the main issues and debates in the contemporary study of EU politics and governance.

This book will enable students to: distinguish between `government' and `governance' in considering what kind of political system characterizes the EU; trace the evolution of the EU through its political and legal institutions to its contemporary processes and structures; compare and contrast the changing roles of nation states and governance at the EU level; examine major policy areas and evaluate new forms of politics and political culture in Europe; consider the role of the European legal system, the EU budget and questions of democracy, enlargement and foreign and security policy; and apply the main theoretical debates surrounding the evolving form and nature of governance in the EU.