Constructivism and public policy approaches in the EU: from ideas to power games

Abstract

The aim of this contribution is to critically analyse the strengths and pitfalls of constructivist public policy approaches in European Union (EU) studies and to develop avenues for further research. Four conceptual frameworks are more specifically discussed: (1) sociological institutionalism; (2) discursive institutionalism; (3) approaches based on socialization and learning;, and finally (4) actor-centred constructivism. When the constructivist turn in international relations ‘hit’ European integration theories, the large epistemological tent under which constructivists gathered centred schematically around two puzzles: how ideas, norms and world views were established; and how and why they mattered. Recently, actor strategies and economic rationality have been reintroduced into constructivist accounts. This actor-centred constructivism is very much based on the idea that in order to understand how actors think and how their ideas count in policy-making, one must take into account the way actors use ideas strategically. This contribution argues that this perspective allows us to reach beyond the dichotomy opposing rational choice and more interpretative approaches and helps us to best understand how ideas influence policy processes.

Keywords:

• Cognitive frames
• constructivism
• European Union
• ideas
• public policy
• strategic constructivism

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to thank Nikolaos Zahariadis, the participants of the EUSA panel on Theories of the EU Policy Process, and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and constructive criticism on early drafts. The research was supported by a fellowship at the Institut universitaire de France (IUF).

Notes

While all these terms have very specific definitions, they are used by a majority of constructivist approaches dealt with in this article as synonymous. A detailed differentiation would go way beyond the scope of this article.