Rush to Union: Understanding the European Federal Bargain

The decision at Maastricht to create a political union and, in particular, to move towards a single currency, constitutes something of an intellectual puzzle. Why did the Europeans decide to create this union, and what are the chances of its succeeding? This book answers these questions by adapting William Riker's theory of federalism to the European case. It concludes that in the absence of fundamental political changes, European Union is not tenable.