Capitalist Center of Europe Quiz

Study Notes

Europe is often stylized in different ways to represent its unique qualities
Representations help understand what Europe is and what it stands for
Cultural Europe: A place with shared history, art, literature, and values. This emphasizes ancient Greek, Roman, and Renaissance/Enlightenment periods
Political Europe (EU): A unified political entity through the European Union. Created to maintain peace, promote cooperation, and uphold common values like democracy and human rights
Impersonations of Europe: Europe is sometimes personified (e.g., "mother" or "guardian") in speeches or writings to make it easier to connect with on an emotional level
Europe of Two Lungs (JP II): Pope John Paul II's concept describing the two cultural and spiritual roots of Europe: Western and Eastern Europe. Both are essential for a whole Europe
Cradle of Western Civilization: Europe is often called the "cradle of Western civilization" due to the origin of many ideas, values, and innovations that shaped the modern world.

Europe's borders have varying levels of economic development.
Capitalist Center refers to wealthy and economically developed countries (e.g., Germany, France, UK, Benelux countries) with strong economies and high standards of living.
Peripheries include regions that are generally less wealthy (e.g., Scandinavia, Balkans, Eastern Europe) and face economic or political challenges in catching up to the center.
These regions have different economic structures and may face more challenges in catching up to the capitalist center.
The relationship between the center and peripheries in Europe involves interactions where the center benefits from labor, resources, and markets in the peripheries. (e.g., trade, investment, and migration)

Integration is the process by which nations relinquish independent decision-making in favor of joint decision-making, or delegating decisions to central institutions.
Lindberg defined political integration as nations participating in regularized, ongoing decision-making through collective institutions.
Haas saw integration as achieving a sense of community and strong institutions/practices in a territory.
Castaldi's definition focuses on the establishment of supranational institutions and the shift away from unanimity decisions towards majority-based decision-making.

Different stages and treaties in the evolution of the EU's integration (e.g., ECSC, Treaties of Rome, Maastricht Treaty, Amsterdam Treaty, Nice Treaty, Lisbon Treaty)
Early attempts at establishing a European unity, including various organizations and treaties, led to the need to prevent future conflicts and promote cooperation
The Cold War and geopolitical pressures were key factors motivating European integration
Economic, cultural, and political factors contributed to further regional cooperation and development.

Functionalism: The gradual development of unity through practical cooperation in specific areas (e.g., economic or technical)
Federalism: Advocates for a central, unified structure in which power is shared among the center and member states
Liberal Intergovernmentalism: Emphasizes the role of states as primary actors, focusing on rational choice and intergovernmental negotiations to influence integration
Institutionalism: Emphasizes the role of institutions in shaping the behavior and cooperation of states during the integration process