Mit dem Thema "Staat und Demokratie" wurde erneut eine der Kernfragen des Faches in den Mittelpunkt der Erörterungen eines DVPW-Kongresses gestellt. Die Konzeption des Kongresses und damit dieses Bandes setzt bei den tiefgreifenden Prozessen der Um­ gestaltung im institutionellen Arrangement von Staat, Gesellschaft und Wirtschaft an. Er gliedert sich in drei thematische Bereiche: - Zukunft des Staates Im Mittelpunkt steht eine grundlegende Reflexion über Staatlichkeit heute, die Hand­ lungsfähigkeit des Staates unter den Bedingungen internationaler Interdependenz und gewandelter interner Aufgabenlagen und gesellschaftlich-wirtschaftlicher Strukturie­ rungen und die normative Integration des demokratischen Staates der Gegenwart. - Konflikt und Konsensus In den östlichen Ländern zeichnen sich unterschiedliche Wege zu einer Wettbewerbsde­ mokratie ab, in den westlichen Ländern werden deren Grenzen immer deutlicher. Im Kern geht es somit um die Entwicklung neuer politischer Konflikt- und Konsensformen im Rahmen einer sich neu formierenden Staatlichkeit sowie um den staatlichen Restruk­ turierungsprozeß im Zuge der supranationalen Integration Westeuropas. - Die europäische Staatenwelt Die Bedeutung von Herrschaftsstrukturen und staatlicher Verfaßtheit für die Strukturie­ rung des internationalen Systems ist mit dem Ende des Ost-West-Konfliktes überdeutlich geworden. Dies lenkt die Aufmerksamkeit auf Grundsatzfragen wie die nach der Frie­ densfähigkeit von Demokratien, der Regelbarkeit zwischenstaatlicher Beziehungen und einer möglicherweise neuen Qualität internationaler Politik infolge von Veränderungen im innerstaatlichen Verhältnis von Politik und Wirtschaft. Der Fokus auf Europa drängte sich angesichts des Wandels der politischen Konflikt­ strukturen in Westeuropa, des Systemumbruchs in den vormals "realsozialistischen" Staaten aber auch angesichts der erneuten Dynamik des staatenübergreifenden Integra­ tionsprozesses in Westeuropa geradezu auf.

Are the recent developments in Europe bringing countries together or pulling them apart? The leading experts in this book (including Sheila Allen, Marlis Buchmann, Piotr Sztompka, and Patrick Ziltener) cover a wide range of subjects, including the move towards political democracy and market economy in Central and Eastern societies, the project of the European Union, ethnic conflict, the rise of nationalism, social exclusion and women's role in public life.

Thomas Hörber analyses the building process of European integration. He shows the parliamentary discourses of France, Germany and Britain to be representative of the national position of these states towards the developing concept of 'Europe'. He covers all key events and developments of the time which had an impact on the European integration process and provides an explanation for the convergence of national discourses towards a common Europe. This development was by no means a given and the analysis of parliamentary debates shows for the first time how vigorous the debates were on European integration in the 1950s, and how, despite setbacks (notably the failure of the European Defence Community), the discussion went in favour of integration.

While globalization affects the sovereignty of every nation-state, European countries face special challenges due to the emergence of the European Union. The State of Europe explores the transformation of ideas of statehood in light of the EU's continued development, including rapidly changing notions of democracy, representation, and citizenship alongside major shifts in economic regulation. This book will be an essential guide for students and teachers of economics, political science, and international relations, as well as anyone interested in the expanding role of the EU worldwide.

»Differenz« ist eine noch häufig vernachlässigte Dimension sozialer Interaktion, die jedoch als Forschungsfeld an Bedeutung gewinnt. Der Band untersucht das positive Potenzial von Differenz – der Ideen, Interessen oder Institutionen – und zeigt, unter welchen Bedingungen sie einen Gewinn für effektives und legitimes Handeln in demokratischen Systemen darstellt. Die Beiträger sind Politikwissenschaftler, Soziologen, Kommunikationswissenschaftler, Rechtswissenschaftler und Kunsthistoriker.

Within a few years the European Union will be enlarged from fifteen to twenty-eight member states including Turkey. Do the new countries fit into the European Union or does the enlargement lead to a cultural overstretch? Using survey data Cultural Overstretch describes the cultural differences between twenty-eight European countries.

Constitutionalism and democracy have been interpreted as both intimately related and intrinsically opposed. On the one hand constitutions are said to set out the rules of the democratic game, on the other as constraining the power of the demos and their representatives to rule themselves - including by reforming the very processes of democracy itself. Meanwhile, constitutionalists themselves differ on how far any constitution derives its authority from, and should itself be subject to democratic endorsement and interpretation. They also dispute whether constitutions should refer solely to democratic processes, or also define and limit democratic goals. Each of these positions produces a different view of judicial review, the content and advisability of a Bill of Rights and the nature of constitutional politics. These differences are not simply academic positions, but are reflected in the different types of constitutional democracy found in the United States, continental Europe, Britain and many commonwealth countries. The selected essays explore these issues from the perspectives of law, philosophy and political science. A detailed and informative introduction sets them in the context of contemporary debates about constitutionalism.

Thanks to their economic and military strength, the European empires had achieved global supremacy by 1900, with large parts of the world under their dominance in the wake of colonial expansion. This situation fuelled ideas of Europe's permanent, almost natural global superiority, especially among the middle classes. However, as early as the First World War, such claims came under increasing pressure. This volume explains the role played by modern nationalism and anti-imperial movements, the competition between different political orders, changes in the economy and society, and the great ideas and utopias. Their interplay gave rise to enormously destructive forces in Europe. From the Boer and Balkan wars before 1914 to the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s and the Ukraine war since 2022, they have produced a continuum of violence. At the same time, the great promise of political participation and social security is one of the constants of Europe's history in the long twentieth century. Against this backdrop, modern societies emerged whose values had moved far away from the older models. Perceptions of the role of the sexes, families, and generations changed fundamentally. In addition, the major internal European migrations, together with the global immigration that became increasingly significant after 1945, ensured that the ethnic profile of European societies changed considerably. Europe in the Long Twentieth Century shows how, on the one hand, these different factors led to a Europeanisation of living and working conditions and, at the same time, how the political and economic integration of the countries of Europe progressed. On the other hand, it demonstrates how Europe's role in the global context changed fundamentally. As much as the geopolitical provincialisation of Europe continued unabated, Europeans were constantly searching for new ways to assert themselves throughout the long twentieth century. The search continues.

English summary: In contrast to all predictions about the end of religion(s), in the different societies of a secularized Europe it is still alive and a challenge for humanities. Coming from different backgrounds (theology, philosophy, sociology, political science, law, cultural studies, Judaist and Islamic Hermeneutics), 11 authors investigate the interaction between religion(s) und the transformation processes of European societies and their consequences on an individual and a social level. The first volume of the new series Religion and Transformation of Contemporary European Society offers an overview on the project of a new research platform located at Vienna University, RaT (Religion and Transformation in Contemporary European Society). It is is dedicated to 5 research activities: (1) Critique of Religion and Conceptions of God; (2) Inclusion and Exclusion; (3) Juridical Challenges in Multi-religious Societies in Europe; (4) Constructs of Meaning and Values in Europe; (5) Reception and Hermeneutics of Religious Texts. German text. German description: Uberraschend lebendig erweist sich Religion in den heutigen sakularisierten Gesellschaften Europas - vielen Vorhersagen zum Trotz. Sie stellt damit eine Herausforderung fur die unterschiedlichen geisteswissenschaftlichen Disziplinen dar. In elf Beitragen untersuchen AutorInnen aus Philosophie, Theologie, Soziologie, Politik-, Rechts- und Kulturwissenschaft bzw. Judaistik und Islamwissenschaft die Wechselwirkungen zwischen Religion(en) und Transformationsprozessen in europaischen Gesellschaften und ihre Konsequenzen auf sozialer und individueller Ebene. Die Beitrage des Bandes widmen sich funf Schwerpunkten: (1) Religionskritik und Gottesfrage; (2) Religion in Inklusions- und Exklusionsprozessen; (3) Rechtliche Herausforderungen in den multireligiosen Gesellschaften Europas; (4) Religiose Sinn- und Wertkonstruktionen und (5) Rezeption und Hermeneutik religioser Texte.