Release Date: 2008-05-15
Original Link: http://presszoom.com/story_145168.html
Washington, D.C.—Are current disagreements between the United States and Europe minor and transient or catastrophic and permanent? Is this the end of the transatlantic alliance? In their new book, The End of the West? Crisis and Change in the Atlantic Order (Cornell University Press 2008), Georgetown Professor, Jeffrey Anderson, joins co-editors G. John Ikenberry and Thomas Risse, in addressing the current political upheaval between the United States and Europe, and the future of the transatlantic alliance.
(PressZoom.com) - Washington, D.C.—Are current disagreements between the United States and Europe minor and transient or catastrophic and permanent? Is this the end of the transatlantic alliance? In their new book, The End of the West? Crisis and Change in the Atlantic Order (Cornell University Press 2008), Georgetown Professor, Jeffrey Anderson, joins co-editors G. John Ikenberry and Thomas Risse, in addressing the current political upheaval between the United States and Europe, and the future of the transatlantic alliance.
In conjunction with the contributions of leading scholars, whose multidisciplinary backgrounds range from political science and history, to economics, law and sociology, the editors examine the Atlantic political order that was first constructed by the Allies in 1945 and has been a central feature of world politics ever since. Through a series of essays, the authors examine the seriousness and probable causes of the recent transatlantic conflict over a series of issues, including the Iraq War, terrorism and social and cultural differences between America and Europe over energy consumption, global warming, the death penalty, transnational justice and religion.
Editor Jeffrey Anderson contributes a chapter to the volume in which he examines the differences between American and European conceptions of sovereignty, and the role these differences may have played in the unfolding of the current transatlantic rift. Anderson argues that these differences are not at the heart of the current Atlantic political discord, and that “clashes of interest, not of principle, have driven the rhythm of this latest crisis in transatlantic relationship.”
Georgetown University professors Charles Kupchan and Kathleen McNamara also contribute chapters to End of the West? In his section focusing on the nature of change in U.S.-European relations, Kupchan provides a brief historical overview of Atlantic relations, argues that the partnership passed through a historical turning point after September 11th, and reflects on where it might be headed in the future. McNamara also reflects on the U.S.-European relationship by evaluating the potential role of economic ties. In her analysis of whether economic ties affect foreign policy, the author examines cases in which economic partners experience political conflict, including U.S. engagement with Europe during the years before World War I, the Suez crisis, and the present-day situation. McNamara argues that “high levels of underlying economic interdependence cannot by themselves serve as a panacea for political crises.”
Overall, the authors of the book agree there is a crisis in the Atlantic order, but do not see this as the end of the transatlantic alliance. They predict the Atlantic world adjusting and accommodating itself to new realities, but also emphasize the need for strong, proactive leadership on both sides of the Atlantic. Editor Thomas Risse closes with a warning to readers that “loosened transatlantic ties and a deinstitutionalization of the Western order are disastrous for world order and global governance.”
“In this must-read book, an outstanding group of scholars tackle one of the most critical international issues of our time: how the transatlantic partnership will evolve in the years to come,” said Tony Smith, Cornelia M. Jackson professor of political science at Tufts University. “Everyone concerned about the future of American political, security, and economic relations with the European Union and NATO is sure to find in End of the West? compelling arguments for thought and debate.”
Jeffrey Anderson is the Graf Goltz Professor and Director of the BMW Center for German and European Studies. Professor Anderson has been a fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) and the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard. His areas of expertise are postwar German politics and foreign policy. Professor Anderson's publication record includes two single-authored books, German Unification and the Union of Europe: The Domestic Politics of Integration Policy and The Territorial Imperative: Pluralism, Corporatism and Economic Crisis, and an edited volume entitled Regional Integration and Democracy: Expanding on the European Experience.
About the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
Founded in 1919 to educate students and prepare them for leadership roles in international affairs, the School of Foreign Service remains committed to intercultural understanding and service in the global arena, ideals held by its founder and first dean, the Rev. Edmund A. Walsh, S.J. For more information about the School of Foreign Service, visit http://www.georgetown.edu/sfs.
About Georgetown University
Georgetown University is the oldest and largest Catholic and Jesuit university in America, founded in 1789 by Archbishop John Carroll. Georgetown today is a major student-centered, international, research university offering respected undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in Washington, DC, Doha, Qatar and around the world. For more information about Georgetown University, visit www.georgetown.edu.
Contact: Katherine P Martha
202-687-4328
kpm43@georgetown.edu