Premium
Domestic adjustment costs, interdependence and dissent in the C ouncil of the E uropean U nion
Author(s) -
Arregui Javier,
Thomson Robert
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
european journal of political research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.267
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1475-6765
pISSN - 0304-4130
DOI - 10.1111/1475-6765.12060
Subject(s) - dissent , voting , relevance (law) , institution , proposition , political science , politics , positive economics , political economy , economics , law , epistemology , philosophy
Liberal international relations theory posits that the behaviour of states is affected both by domestic interests and other states with which they are linked in significant patterns of interdependence. This article examines the relevance of this proposition to states' behaviour in the most powerful institution in the furthest reaching example of regional integration in the world today: the C ouncil of the E uropean U nion. Compared to previous research, more detailed evidence is analysed in this article on the substance of the political debates that preceded C ouncil votes. It is found that states' disagreement with both discretionary and nondiscretionary decision outcomes affects the likelihood that they dissent at the voting stage. Moreover, in line with the theory posited here, the behaviour of states' significant trading partners has a particularly marked effect on the likelihood that they will dissent.