Intergovernmentalism

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The term Intergovernmentalism can mean different things:

A decision-making method

Usually intergovernmentalism refers to the decision-making methods in international organisations, where power is possessed by the member states and decisions are often but not always made by unanimity. Independent appointees of the governments or elected representatives have solely advisory or implementational functions. Intergovernmentalism is used by most international organizations today.

An anomaly exist with the Bundesrat of Germany, the upper house in the German federal system,where the seats are held by the governments of the landers.Thus intergovernmentalism does not conflict with federalism.

The opposite method of decision-making in international organizations is Supranationalism.

A theory of regional integration

The theory is applied on European integration which rejects the idea of neofunctionalism. The theory, initially proposed by Stanley Hoffmann suggests that national governments control the level and speed of European integration. Any increase in power at supranational level, he argues, results from a direct decision by governments. He believed that integration, driven by national governments, was often based on the domestic political and economic issues of the day. The theory rejects the concept of the spill-over effect that neofunctionalism proposes. He also rejects the idea that supranational organisations are on an equal level (in terms of political influence) as national governments.

Intergovernmentalism

A decision-making method

A theory of regional integration

See also