European Integration Essay
National preference formation is the first step in interpreting the outcome of an international negotiation. Andrew Moravcsik describes national preferences as, “an ordered and weighted set of values placed on future substantive outcomes that might result from international political interaction.” (Moravcsik 24). The most significant question dealing with national preferences is determining the reasons why governments act and decide the way that they do in an international cooperative setting. What are the sources of underlying national preferences? Moravcsik’s hypothesis divides the tendencies of national preference into two camps: geopolitical ideologies and political economic interests. Even though these two theories are contrasting by nature, the resulting hypothetical outcomes of both are achieved by observing five identical observations concerning the pattern and process of state behavior.
The first hypothesis Moravcsik provides emphasizes the role of geopolitical interests as the catalyst for the formation of national preferences. The basic nature of geopolitical reasons for national preferences focuses on underlying political and military goals. This should come as no surprise. European cooperation has been dictated time and time again by the fundamental desire of all nations to avoid another world war. The geopolitical theory does provide for economic cooperation, however the outcomes have an indirect effect on integration and are subordinate to politico-military goals. The core argument of this segment of Moravcsik’s theory is that states are more likely to integrate economically with other states because they share a common geopolitical goal or goals. Perhaps the most influential common political goal is the security against potential foes. Countries that share a common enemy are much more likely to integrate economically. The potential threat of the Soviet Union and the resulting Cold War is the perfect example of a common geopolitical interest shared by many western and central European countries, perhaps explaining the increased integration throughout the second half of the twentieth century. Read more…
