Abstract

The subject of “policymaking” is characterized by the content of policies (competition, foreign and security, banking, educational, and so on), the processes which a governing body employs in the act of making policies, and the various phases of the “policy cycle” which comprise the birth, life, evolution, death (and, sometimes resurrection) of public policies. These three aspects of policymaking are conditioned by several factors, some which all postindustrial democracies share; others are specific to the European Union (EU). In this handbook, “EU” and “European” are used interchangeably to signify policy that is taken at the European level. In a similar vein, “Europeanization” refers to the infusion of the EU acquis communautaire into the national politics and policies of member states.