This is the paper from POLS 3210 Class. Europeanization

Europeanization
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Institutional Affiliation
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Europeanization
According to Olsen (2002), Europeanization was a popular concept for which there were numerous definitions. The author further argued that given the uncertainty surrounding the concept, Europeanization was not worth bothering with. However, various scholars claimed that Europeanisation was an essential concept that needed further exploration and conceptualization. Ladrech (1994) offered a starting point when he stated that Europeanisation takes place the political dynamics of the European Union (EU) are integrated into the logical and norms of the domestic policy-making. The author further indicated that Europeanization is an incremental process that seeks to reorient the shape and direction of the local political and economic dynamics towards the national policies. In the same fashion, Featherstone and Kazamias (2001) indicated that Europeanization was a dynamic process which unfolded over time. The researchers further proposed that the concept entailed the aspects of both the domestic and EU levels of policy-making and indicated that the two are interdependent. Later, Gamble (2002) argued that Europeanisation takes place when distinct modes of the EU governance transform some of the aspects of domestic policies. In other words, the concept of Europeanization seeks to align domestic policies to fit the mode of EU governance. In essence, Europeanization indicates the construction of a European polity and the emergence of European-level political processes.
Various theories exist which endeavor to explain the process of Europe integration. These theories strife to explain how and why the EU came to existence and how it is currently. Theories are critical because they assist individuals to understand the functioning of the EU which assists in hypothesizing how the EU might be going forward. It is crucial to know the various approaches individuals take when explaining the process Europeanization. The concept of new institutionalism has been widely employed to describe the process of Europeanization. It stresses the role of institutions in the integration process. Institutionalism was developed in the 1980s to explain the behavior of the US Congress but has since been utilized to explain Europeanization. New institutionalism encompasses three main ideas which include rational choice, historical and sociological. This paper seeks to conceptualize Europeanization within the framework of the new institutionalism and provide an understanding of European integration. To achieve this objective, the paper compares and contrasts three major frameworks of institutionalism. Further, the paper indicates how the UK has adapted to the EU and how the concept of Europeanization has impacted on the domestic policies of the country.
Rational choice institutionalism
Rational choice institutionalism assumes that the actors (institutions, organizations, and individuals) are ultimately rational. The actors have a set of predetermined preferences which are hierarchically ordered. All the actors are aware of all the possible actions they can undertake and the potential outcomes of each action (Schmidt, 2011). They base their decisions and hierarchical order on that...