Europeanization Mechanisms and Process Tracing: A Template for Empirical Research

Abstract

While the literature on Europeanization has exhibited considerable awareness of the methodological challenge of establishing causal relations between non-binding EU stimuli and domestic change, less work has been done on how this challenge might be met. This article contributes to the literature's attempts to meet this challenge by: 1) reformulating four explanations of Europeanization based on four distinct causal mechanisms (instrumental learning, social learning, naming and shaming and peer pressure); 2) specifying their observable implications for three intervening steps between EU stimuli and change in national policy (the definition of the policy problem, the alternative courses of action considered and the manner in which they were assessed); 3) defending process tracing against critiques of its usefulness for research on Europeanization; and 4) providing practical guidelines on how process tracing can be used to test these four explanations empirically, using examples from employment policy, where non-binding EU stimuli feature most prominently.

Europeanisation and the Youth Guarantee: The case of France

“…More in general, following Graziano and Vink () and Moumotzis and Zartaloudis (), we adopted an innovative approach with respect to the original literature on Europeanisation (such as Risse, Green, Cawles, & Caporaso, ) in order to unveil Europeanisation mechanisms by looking at the Youth Guarantee measure, a measure that is rather novel and has not yet attracted sufficient scholarly attention in connection with Europeanisation. More specifically, from a methodological standpoint, we used the notion of ‘policy structure’ in order to consider the various dimensions that build a public policy (Graziano, ).…”

“…More specifically, from a methodological standpoint, we used the notion of ‘policy structure’ in order to consider the various dimensions that build a public policy (Graziano, ). We then followed the suggestions provided by Haverland () and Moumotzis and Zartaloudis () for tracing causality in Europeanisation, that is, to ‘focus on the following dimensions of the policy‐making process: 1) the definition of the policy problem; 2) the alternative courses of action considered; and 3) the manner in which the latter were assessed’ (Moumoutzis & Zartaloudis, , p. 339).…”

“…At the same time, the policy‐tracing approach proposed by Moumotzis and Zartaloudis () suggested a kind of counterfactual analysis by exploring whether, at the national level, the Youth Guarantee or similar policies would have been implemented anyway at the national level, even in the absence of the European initiative that established the YG. This analysis would enable us to at least partly respond to the criticism often lodged against research on Europeanisation, of being too deterministic in assessing national policies against the European benchmark.…”

The Influence of the European Semester on Employment Policy in Croatia, 2013 – 2016

“…This paper assumes that a more pronounced policy misfit leads to an increased pressure to adapt 3 (Börzel and Risse 2000). I extract four principle mechanisms from the literature (see: Moumoutzis and Zartaloudis 2016;Barcevičius 2014;De la Porte and 3 As critics rightly point out, the goodness of fit is by no means a necessary condition for policy change (Mastenbroek and Kaeding 2016). This is especially true in the sphere of soft law such as employment policy.…”

Flexicurity between Europeanization and Varieties of Capitalism? A Comparative Analysis of Employment Protection Reforms in Portugal and Greece

“…The study gathered qualitative data to examine in comparative fashion the impact of EU stimuli on two country cases selected on the basis of theoretically informed selection criteria (Moumoutzis and Zartaloudis, , pp. 344–346).…”