Functionalism (International Relations)

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The functionalism is a theory within the international relations , after the merging of States on the delegation of state sovereignty in favor of over- or intergovernmental carried institutions. Individual policy areas ( functions , tasks ) are gradually merged or coordinated - mostly via international agreements. In functionalism, the actors in the process of integration are the technical elites who work in the functional agencies or supranational organizations work.

Origin of the term

Functionalism is derived from “function”, ie from political, technical, economic or other fulfillment of a purpose: It is result-oriented and pragmatic. The origin of functionalist thinking is not entirely clear. Some believe that it emerged from the political idealism of the interwar period, the exponents of which were Woodrow Wilson or Norman Angell . Others, however, point to liberal institutionalism .

Directions

A distinction is usually made between the original and old functionalism of the British David Mitrany (1943) and the neo-functionalism of the German-American Ernst B. Haas (1958). Haas, in turn, was based on the unification method of the Frenchman Jean Monnet - the so-called community method, the 1950-52 establishing the European Coal and Steel Community led. Monnet is regarded as a brilliant practitioner of functionalism and as the pioneer of European unification.

The functionalist creed (Mitrany)

The so-called credo of (older) functionalism is form follows function : It is not worth planning integration projects meticulously according to normative goals - one should start with technocratic solutions - the correct institutional and contractual solutions would result from the functional requirements of the situation. Consequently, David Mitrany rejected federalism , which in its striving for constitutional determinations was either illusionistic or even harmful, since it would only shift the problem of the power state to a higher level even if it was successful by constructing a larger state. Mitrany, in contrast, represented an approach that corresponded to the striving for loose but supra-regional extensive connections in a global society, the stability of which would be secured by its objective necessity. Its target institutions were pragmatic associations such as the Universal Postal Union , the International Labor Organization (ILO) within the framework of the League of Nations , but also the Rhine Shipping Act or international cartels in which technocratic elites could find objective solutions. He assumed that the limits of these associations were limited by the requirements of their work, so that their possible claims to power would not pose a threat.

The community method resp. functionalism-federalism (Monnet)

Jean Monnet's community method went beyond that, however: he attached great importance to the establishment of strong supranational central authorities through binding contracts. The High Authority of the Coal and Steel Community was a prime example of the high level of supranationality it was striving for . Monnet represented a continental European functionalism that sought fixings and guarantees. Monnet's paradigms were the tightly organized war economy supply agencies of the world wars.

Neofunctionalism (Haas and others)

The neofunctionalism is the scientific follow-up of the Community method and the development of functionalism. He strongly emphasizes the importance of independent supranational agencies for the conscious continuation of integration, and in this it differs greatly from classical functionalism. Unlike the latter, it is still important today. He has the theories of international relations resp. enriched the theories of European integration with important terms such as the “ spill-over effect ”. This enabled him to offer an explanation for the spread of supranational regulatory mechanisms and the associated increase in power of supranational bodies such as the EU Commission .

Special features compared to other theories of international relations

Classical functionalism is a decided alternative to realism by Hans Morgenthaus , who sees the states as the decisive actors in international politics. Significantly, both currents of theory emerged almost simultaneously (1943/50 to 1948).

The further developed neo-functionalism is directed against the basic ideas of state-centered intergovernmentalism , from which it differs in the assessment of the role of governments.

The unification method of old functionalism is that of a bottom-up as opposed to the opposite principle of top-down in the normative theory of federalism , which makes these two concepts diametrically different as integration methods.

literature

  • Jürg M. Gabriel: The Renaissance of Functionalism , Zurich 2000.
  • Ernst B. Haas, The Uniting of Europe; Political, Social, and Economic Forces , 1950–1957. Stanford: Stanford University Press., 1958
  • Ernst B. Haas: Beyond the Nation-State: Functionalism and International Organization. Stanford: Stanford University Press., 1964
  • David Mitrany: The Prospect of European Integration: Federal or Functional , Journal of Common Market Studies, 1965
  • David Mitrany: The Functional Theory of Politics . New York: St. Martin's Press., 1976