Giandomenico Majone
Encyclopedia
Giandomenico Majone is an Italian academic notable in particular for his work on the European Union
(EU). The majority of his work in this field has been concerned with theories of delegation and their impact on the perceived democratic deficit in the European Union
.
in the early 1950s acquiring a Master of Arts
in Political Economy
in 1956, before enrolling at the Carnegie Institute of Technology
where he received a Master of Science
degree in Mathematics
in 1960. In the early 1960s he studied at the University of California
where he earned a Doctorate
in statistics in 1965. In 1986 he was appointed Professor of Public Policy Analysis at the European University Institute
(EUI), a post he held until 1995. He currently holds a position as an external professor at the EUI in addition to that of Visiting Distinguished Professor at the EU Center and Graduate School of Public and International Affairs in the University of Pittsburgh
.
as a means for the member states of the EU to engage in credible commitments with respects to matters of integration and the implementation of EU policies. Majone asserts that the scope of EU powers are primarily regulatory and contrasts delegation to the Commission with national forms of delegation such as that to an independent central bank. The member states under Majone's system delegate certain regulatory powers to the Commission to insulate them from democratic pressures which could inhibit optimal policy outcomes. Of these pressures the two most important ones are problems of 'shifting political property rights' whereby the commitments made by one government can be undone by a newly elected government and the problem of 'time inconsistency' where the optimal short term policy may run counter to the optimal long term policy and as such decisions on purely regulatory matters should be made by institutions which are not democratically accountable. The common example given to illustrate this point is that of interest rates, namely that whilst a policy of low inflation over a long period of time might be recognised as the best long term course of action, governments facing elections will often have motivation to lower interest rates and manufacture short term 'booms' in the economy. When this argument is translated to the EU it presents, for Majone, a defence of the perceived undemocratic nature of institutions like the European Commission and a warning against the introduction of democratic reforms such as a directly elected Commission President which could undermine the functions of the supranational institutions.
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU). The majority of his work in this field has been concerned with theories of delegation and their impact on the perceived democratic deficit in the European Union
Democratic deficit in the European Union
Democratic deficit in the European Union is a term used to refer to the view that the EU lacks democracy, arguably due to a lack of legitimacy in its institutions and/or lack of influence on the part of its citizens. Opinions differ on how to remedy this, and it is also argued that the deficit is...
.
Education
Majone studied at the University of PaduaUniversity of Padua
The University of Padua is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second...
in the early 1950s acquiring a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Political Economy
Political economy
Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy...
in 1956, before enrolling at the Carnegie Institute of Technology
Carnegie Institute of Technology
The Carnegie Institute of Technology , is the name for Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering. It was first called the Carnegie Technical Schools, or Carnegie Tech, when it was founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie who intended to build a “first class technical school” in Pittsburgh,...
where he received a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
in 1960. In the early 1960s he studied at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
where he earned a Doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in statistics in 1965. In 1986 he was appointed Professor of Public Policy Analysis at the European University Institute
European University Institute
The European University Institute ' in Florence is an international postgraduate and post-doctoral teaching and research institute established by European Union member states to contribute to cultural and scientific development in the social sciences, in a European perspective...
(EUI), a post he held until 1995. He currently holds a position as an external professor at the EUI in addition to that of Visiting Distinguished Professor at the EU Center and Graduate School of Public and International Affairs in the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
.
Academic Contribution
Majone has written on a wide variety of subjects, but his most notable contribution has been concerned with the delegation of regulatory powers in the European Union. In brief, Majone conceives of the delegation of regulatory powers to supranational institutions such as the European CommissionEuropean Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
as a means for the member states of the EU to engage in credible commitments with respects to matters of integration and the implementation of EU policies. Majone asserts that the scope of EU powers are primarily regulatory and contrasts delegation to the Commission with national forms of delegation such as that to an independent central bank. The member states under Majone's system delegate certain regulatory powers to the Commission to insulate them from democratic pressures which could inhibit optimal policy outcomes. Of these pressures the two most important ones are problems of 'shifting political property rights' whereby the commitments made by one government can be undone by a newly elected government and the problem of 'time inconsistency' where the optimal short term policy may run counter to the optimal long term policy and as such decisions on purely regulatory matters should be made by institutions which are not democratically accountable. The common example given to illustrate this point is that of interest rates, namely that whilst a policy of low inflation over a long period of time might be recognised as the best long term course of action, governments facing elections will often have motivation to lower interest rates and manufacture short term 'booms' in the economy. When this argument is translated to the EU it presents, for Majone, a defence of the perceived undemocratic nature of institutions like the European Commission and a warning against the introduction of democratic reforms such as a directly elected Commission President which could undermine the functions of the supranational institutions.
Publications
- Europe as the Would-be world power. The EU at Fifty, Cambridge University Press, 2009
- Dilemmas of European Integration, Oxford University Press, 2005.
- Regulating Europe, Routledge, September 1996.
- The European Community as a Regulatory State, published by Nijhoff in the Series of Lectures of the Academy of European Law, 1995.
- Deregulation or Re-regulation? Regulatory Reform in Europe and the United States, London: Frances Pinter, 1990. (Paperback edition 1992).
- L'Europe d'aujourd'hui, Baden Baden, 1989.
- Evidence, Argument, and Persuasion in the Policy Process, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1989. (Paperback edition, 1992). Spanish translation, Mexico City: Fondo de Cultura Economica, 1996.
- Guidance, Control and Evaluation in the Public Sector (co-editor and co-author), Berlin: Walter De Gruyter & Co., 1985.
- Pitfalls of Analysis (co-editor and co-author), London: Wiley, 1980.