A Responsive Technocracy?

How does politicization of European issues affect public policy? Do elites now "look over their shoulders" and adapt policy, or do they provide more of the same? Christian Rauh critically examines this question for the most detached and technocratic player of all, the European Commission, and he shows convincingly that the European Commission listens and responds. A Responsive Technocracy breaks new ground on politicization and fundamentally challenges conventional views on EU governance. A must-read for policy makers and analysts alike. -- Liesbet Hooghe, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

This excellent, innovative study moves beyond the analysis of causes and manifestations of EU politicisation. The author systematically investigates its effects on day-to-day policy making, focusing on the heart of the EU's machinery, the Commission. Demonstrating that even this least likely actor is affected carries important empirical and normative implications beyond the EU and the policy area under study. Rauh's book is essential reading for anyone interested in international politics and policy-making, and for every scholar who looks for an outstanding example of how to marry empirical richness with clear and compelling conclusions. -- Markus Haverland, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Christian Rauh is a Research Fellow of the Global Governance department at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. He holds an MA in Politics and Management from the University of Konstanz and a PhD in Political Science from the Free University Berlin. His dissertation was awarded the 2013 ECPR Jean Blondel Prize for the best thesis in politics. Christian’s work specialises in political economy and the public politicisation of international and supranational organisations. He has been published by Oxford University Press, and contributed articles in European Union Politics, the European Journal of Government and Economics, the Journal of Common Market Studies, the Journal of European Integration and West European Politics.