This is the must-have introduction to the European Union. A primer on the EU's history, institutions, and politics, this brief and engaging textbook reviews the challenges and opportunities faced by the EU, from the democratic deficit and the potential of future enlargement to the spread of nationalism, the threats posed by a belligerent Russia, and the international shockwaves caused by the second Trump administration. In a rapidly changing world, understanding the personality and prospects of the European Union is now more important than ever before, and this popular text - in a fully revised new edition - provides a succinct and enlightening account of the EU's domestic and global impact.

The ideal guide for all undergraduate and postgraduate courses in political science, global affairs and European studies, it is also a valuable starting point for anyone seeking to learn about the EU.

New to this Edition:
- Chapter previews offer summaries designed to make content clearer and easier to approach
- Boxes from earlier editions have been re-organized thematically to ask critical questions about the EU, to give examples of the EU at work, and to make comparisons.
- A Glossary has been added to the end of the book that brings together key terms.
- Maps have been carefully and thoroughly revised to provide important visual references.
- Content has been updated to include coverage of the 2024 European Parliament elections and changes in the leadership of the major EU institutions.
- A thorough update has been made of changes in the global order, including the impact of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the evolving state of EU-China relations, and the effects on transatlantic trade and security of changes in US policy.

The must-have introduction to the European Union, this concise textbook provides a primer on the EU's history, institutions, and politics, as well as the various challenges and opportunities it faces.

About the Author
John McCormick is Emeritus Professor of Political Science, Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA.

Reviews
This text provides an invaluable contribution towards understanding the EU as a political international entity. The book aims to navigate the reader through the evolution of the EU, its composition alongside providing a fruitful discussion on the impact of its many policies to include economic and social. Finally it positions the EU's role as global actor, in particular providing insights on its relations with the US and China. * Tasnim Ahmed, Liverpool John Moores University, UK *
McCormick provides an authoritative and accessible introduction to the EU's history, institutions, decision-making processes and policies. It is an ideal starting point for anyone wanting to understand how the EU has developed, what it does today and how it might evolve in the future. * Graham Timmins, University of Birmingham, UK *
John McCormick's Understanding the European Union: A Concise Introduction is the best available text of its kind. Both brief and readable, it provides students, and all readers, with the most important basic information about the historical development, governing institutions, policy-making process, and key internal and external policies of the EU. Anyone reading this book will come away with a greater understanding of what the EU is and is not, how it has developed in the context of repeated crises over the years, and how it has transformed the nature of European states and the lives of their citizens. * Michael Braun, Valdosta State University, US *
What is the European Union? And how can we explain it? The textbook, and book, to understand the relationship of the EU and member states, its citizens and the role it plays in the everyday policy making; and to further address the role of the EU in the world and making sense of the poly-crises experienced through the years and what the Eu represents for countries that are willing to join and the country, the UK, that left. An important resource for any module on the EU, as an idea and an international organisation. * Simona Guerra, University of Surrey, UK *



Book Information
ISBN 9781350517066
Author John McCormick
Format Hardback
Page Count 272
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC