Domestic Politics and Dynamic Issue Linkage: A Reformulation of Integration Theory
The recent successes of the EC have reinvigorated the study of regional integration. This essay reviews integration theory, and offers a model which links the domestic politics of EC members to their regional bargaining. Two domestic variables, policy-making mode and government strength, help to determine the size of states' bargaining positions. EC bargaining is encouraged by dynamic issue linkage, or linkage across issues and time. A high level of dynamic issue linkage is one of the key features that distinguish EC bargaining from other negotiations among states. The utility of this model is demonstrated in a brief case study of EC social policy-making.