Punctuated equilibrium theory and the European Union

Abstract

This contribution discusses punctuated equilibrium theory (PET) and its application to European Union (EU) policy processes. It argues that PET includes two approaches, one that relies on case studies of individual issues and one that analyses overall distributions of policy change. Whereas the former approach has gained a strong foothold in studies of EU policy-making, application of the latter to the EU is still in its infancy. Because of its focus on the allocation of attention and the interplay of institutional and ideational factors, PET is well-suited to deal with the institutional and issue complexity inherent in EU policy-making. However, for this potential to be realized, PET needs to be applied to EU policy-making in a more systematic way than has so far been the case. This, in turn, has the potential to contribute to the further development of PET, as the EU offers a fertile testing ground for several outstanding issues in the theory.

Keywords:

• Agenda-setting
• European Union
• policy-making
• punctuated equilibrium theory

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to thank Robert Ackrill, Marcello Carammia, Alasdair Young, Nikos Zahariadis and two anonymous referees for JEPP for their valuable comments on earlier versions of this article.