European integration a process that is now more than 60 years old has been contested as much as it has been praised. While many existing textbooks describe the current policies of the European Union, The Politics of European Integration analyzes why and how integration created todays EU. It is a systematic and up-to-date exploration of the topic with balanced coverage of the strengths and weaknesses of the EU.  The text proposes that European integration is essentially a contested political process that continues to divide and inspire nations, citizens, and politicians. It avoids over-lengthy explanations of current laws and policies and instead provides students with the analytical tools to consider why the EU functions as it currently does, whether the EU is sufficiently democratic, the politics behind EU laws, debates over foreign policy, and much more. It offers the most comprehensive and timely coverage, with discussion of the Lisbon Treaty, the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis, and current proposals for reforming the way integration is actually organized. Bringing together the latest scholarly research from comparative politics, international relations, law, and democratic theory, this textbook assists students in understanding the history of integration and the current state of the EU, so that they can be informed participants in the discussion of the challenges and changes facing Europe in the years to come.  A companion website at www.wiley.com/go/glencross for instructors and students enhances understanding and further research outside of the classroom with a repository of scholarly and self-assessment material organized according to the format of the book itself.