The European Union and European Integration

What the resources cover

The unit is built mostly around mind maps. The EU Institutions map lays out the European Parliament, European Commission, European Council, Council of the European Union, European Court of Justice, European Central Bank and European Court of Auditors. The lisbon treaty map covers changes such as the longer term for the president of the European Council and the new High Representative for foreign and security policy.

Theory and context

Several resources deal with why integration happens. The flashcards on the European model of integration define realism, federalism, functionalism, neofunctionalism and intergovernmentalism. There is also a mind map called Theories that underpin the EU integration process, and a deck called Different Theories of EU Integration. The notes European integration and politics: history, analysis add a chronological overview, starting with postwar bodies such as the OEEC and the Council of Europe.

Where to start

1. Read European integration and politics: history, analysis for the timeline.
2. Work through the EU Institutions mind map.
3. Use EU Definitions to learn terms such as veto, subsidiary and supranational.
4. Move on to enlargement, Brexit, Scepticism and democratic deficit.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then test yourself. Try EU Institutions Quiz after the institutions map, Theories and Theorists after the theory decks, and Enlargement after the enlargement map. Any question you miss tells you which map to reopen. For A-level Politics revision, the topics on democratic deficit and populist parties give you debate material to practise with.

Where it fits

This unit sits in the Global Governance and Political Economy strand of Political science. It pairs well with the wider material on international institutions in that strand. Choose one resource, work through it, then make your own flashcards from what you found hardest.