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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Processes of Differentiation of Political Power in the EU

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description

This chapter starts with reflections on the difficulties of studying the EU. The author then presents some of the research that develops a political sociology perspective to European integration and political power. Key concepts include structural differentiation and stratification. Scholars explore European integration as a process of structural differentiation and stratification, which provides politicians and civil servants new power resources. In this transnational political ‘market’, old resources tied to the nation-state, resources like legislative experience and national political visibility, are exchanged into newer resources tied to the EU. In other words, something old such as a national political career is converted into something new and riskier, such as a transnational political career in the European Parliament.