The Development of European Integration Studies in Political Science: The Netherlands

Abstract

The study of European integration in the Netherlands is closely intertwined with the international research agenda on governance, with a focus on formal and informal policy-making, the role of the European institutions, and important accountability issues. The number of scholars at Dutch universities and think- tanks working on European integration issues, from a perspective of political science, public administration, or law, is substantial, with a very high output in terms of publications in international peer-reviewed journals. This is partially the result of an open and competitive recruitment process, leading to a substantial amount of foreign scholars working at Dutch universities. Political science and public administration, although relatively young disciplines in comparison with law, are well-established in the Netherlands as independent academic disciplines, with traditionally the emphasis in political science on comparative studies and electoral behaviour, and in public administration on organizational theory, policy processes, and behavioural studies. International relations, as a sub-field of political science, has traditionally focused more on Atlanticism and multilateralism, in line with the general political outlook in the Netherlands, but it is at least since the mid- 1990s increasingly focusing on developments within the European Union.