The European Union is one of the more perplexing creations that emerged from the aftermath of World War II. This is due to the fact that the EU developed as the natural result of an economic project rather than from deliberate intent to construct a “United States of Europe.” European leaders were focused on establishing the euro system, which was a “generations-long effort to bring peace, democracy and shared prosperity to a once and frequently war-torn continent…[an integrated economy] would make any future war between [countries]…‘not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible’” (Krugman). To accomplish this, boundaries that once sharply defined states needed to be removed or lessened. The result was “borders were opened; freedom of personal
…show more content…
This is a “crucial difference between the European Union and federal states. The constitutions of the latter do not allow their constituent states to withdraw from the federation. Under international law, such a withdrawal would have to be regarded as an illegal secession” (Lock 414). The significance of this particular EU feature is such that the decision whether to remain part of the EU or not is an ongoing, controversial political topic between politicians and the constituents of their home countries. A plethora of member states have held referendums solely to assess popular opinion on the subject; for example, UK Prime Minister David Cameron promised to hold a 2013 referendum to determine the future relationship of the UK with the …show more content…
The EU lacks a comprehensive set of cultural values and history that traditional states possess, and has as well a myriad variation of economic policies that make devising a standardized set of regulations incredibly difficult. In addition, there are deep ideological cleavages between the “Eurosceptic” and “Europhile” camps that further impede opportunity for progress. To become more like a state, the EU must undergo greater economic, political, and cultural integration, but many member states have yet to move beyond determining whether they want remain participants. A change of attitude is in order. Economically, states in the US are bound to the commerce regulations established by the federal government, a fact that they accept and thus need not concern themselves with the issues of harmonization that arise. Competition to produce and sell superior products is the concern of companies, instead of states, which eliminates problems with mutual
This is a “crucial difference between the European Union and federal states. The constitutions of the latter do not allow their constituent states to withdraw from the federation. Under international law, such a withdrawal would have to be regarded as an illegal secession” (Lock 414). The significance of this particular EU feature is such that the decision whether to remain part of the EU or not is an ongoing, controversial political topic between politicians and the constituents of their home countries. A plethora of member states have held referendums solely to assess popular opinion on the subject; for example, UK Prime Minister David Cameron promised to hold a 2013 referendum to determine the future relationship of the UK with the …show more content…
The EU lacks a comprehensive set of cultural values and history that traditional states possess, and has as well a myriad variation of economic policies that make devising a standardized set of regulations incredibly difficult. In addition, there are deep ideological cleavages between the “Eurosceptic” and “Europhile” camps that further impede opportunity for progress. To become more like a state, the EU must undergo greater economic, political, and cultural integration, but many member states have yet to move beyond determining whether they want remain participants. A change of attitude is in order. Economically, states in the US are bound to the commerce regulations established by the federal government, a fact that they accept and thus need not concern themselves with the issues of harmonization that arise. Competition to produce and sell superior products is the concern of companies, instead of states, which eliminates problems with mutual