Liberal Intergovernmentalism: An Overview of Andrew Moravcsik’s Contribution to International Relations

Abstract

Andrew Moracsik, scholar at Princeton University is one of important leading and heard voices in European Union (EU) and its integration progress. His main work is dedicated on the study of European integration outcomes. In his defense of liberal intergovernmentalist theory, he emphasizes in this international cooperation, the importance of intergovernmental bargaining by means of empirical studies. The particularity of his framework in classical liberalism theory of International Relations is that unlike his predecessors, Moravcsik’s liberal intergovernmentalism is more authentic as it includes both realist and neo-liberal perspective. His life has shaped his framework on European integration. Andrew Moravcsik was born in Oregon state (United States) in 1957 and has grown in the city of Eugene with huge population. The daily life and reality of people of Oregon have more or less to do with the politics of European countries as Oregon is naturally located in the west in the Pacific Ocean. Apart from this Moravcsik’s high connection with European politics, his family has been originated from Europe. His surname ‘’Moravcsik’’ indicates more about his links with European continent. His father was a Hungarian citizen and immigrant all the way from Budapest. Moravcsik’s father has kept and shared most of his European-based habits with his family having then an impact on the orientation of Moravcsik’s studies. His mother possessed various origins and born of Scottish, German, Basque, Dutch and English ancestors. That is to say his whole family is used to European cultures and particularities which has really had a considerable influence of the childhood of Moravcsik and thus shaping his scholarship.

Keywords: Liberal Intergovernmentalism, Bargaining Power, National Preferences, Schengen Crisis, Brexit

JEL Classification: F50