The Struggle Over Borders: Cosmopolitanism and Communitarianism

Citizens, parties, and movements are increasingly contesting issues connected to globalization, such as whether to welcome immigrants, promote free trade, and support international integration. The resulting political fault line, precipitated by a deepening rift between elites and mass publics, has created space for the rise of populism. Responding to these issues and debates, this book presents a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of how economic, cultural and political globalization have transformed democratic politics. This study offers a fresh perspective on the rise of populism based on analyses of public and elite opinion and party politics, as well as mass media debates on climate change, human rights, migration, regional integration, and trade in the USA, Germany, Poland, Turkey, and Mexico. Furthermore, it considers similar conflicts taking place within the European Union and the United Nations. Appealing to political scientists, sociologists and international relations scholars, this book is also an accessible introduction to these debates for undergraduate and masters students.

Table of Contents:
1. Cosmopolitanism and communitarianism: how globalization is reshaping politics in the twenty-first century Ruud Koopmans and Michael Zürn; Part I. Domestic Impacts: 2. Why are elites more cosmopolitan than masses? Oliver Strijbis, Céline Teney and Marc Helbling; 3. Mass opinions: globalization and issues as axes of contention Bernhard Weßels and Oliver Strijbis; 4. Mapping policy and polity contestation about globalization: issue linkage in the news Pieter de Wilde; Part II. Supranational and Cross-level Analyses: 5. Who is the most frequent traveller? The cosmopolitanism of national, European, and global elites Oliver Strijbis; 6. Globalization conflict in international assemblies: cleavage formation beyond the state? Pieter de Wilde, Wiebke Junk and Tabea Palmtag; 7. Who are the cosmopolitans and the communitarians? Claims-making across issues, polity levels and countries Ruud Koopmans; Part III. Conclusion: Conclusion. The defects of cosmopolitan and communitarian democracy Wolfgang Merkel and Michael Zürn.

About the Author :
Pieter de Wilde is Associate Professor in European Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He directs the project 'Trondheim Analytica' on social media and democracy in Europe and is steering committee member in Reconciling Europe with its Citizens through Democracy and Rule of Law (RECONNECT). Ruud Koopmans is Professor of Sociology and Migration Research at Humboldt University Berlin and directs the Migration and Diversity research area at the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB). Wolfgang Merkel is Director of the 'Democracy and Democratization' unit at the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB) and Professor of Political Science at Humboldt University. He is a member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Science. Oliver Strijbis is SNSF Professor at the Institute of Political Science of the Universitat Zurich and an associated researcher at the German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA). Michael Zürn is Director at the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB) and Professor of International Relations at the Freie Universität Berlin. He also directs the Cluster of Excellence 'Contestations of the Liberal Script' and is a member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Science and the Academy of Europe.

Review :
'It's hard to be balanced in so contentious a debate as that between the claims of cosmopolitanism and place-based communities. The Struggle Over Borders succeeds admirably. It not only goes beyond ideological oppositions but brings empirical evidence to bear on clarifying a world that is always more complicated than polar oppositions suggest. A very helpful book.' Craig Calhoun, Arizona State University 'This is an important addition to the burgeoning literature on the new fault line that pits proponents ('cosmopolitans') and opponents ('communitarians') of globalization against each other. This five country study goes beyond confirming common wisdom by painting a much richer and more encompassing picture of the political repercussions of globalization than previous accounts.' Hanspeter Kriesi, Stein Rokkan Chair of Comparative Politics, European University Institute, Florence 'This magnificent study of the new fault line between cosmopolitans and communitarians offers crucial insight in the nature of democracy under globalization. A first-class interdisciplinary team at the Social Science Center in Berlin brings to bear rich data on elites, masses, and media in five countries. This is the first major study to illuminate the divide across diverse Western societies from Turkey to the United States. A superb study with a sobering bottom line: globalization has generated multiple fissures that fundamentally challenge democracy.' Liesbet Hooghe, W. R. Kenan Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill