Supranational Cooperation in the European Union

Chapter 14 Study Guide

Supranational Cooperation in the European Union

Essential Question: What forces work for and against supranational cooperation among nations?

Geoterms you will need to know:

centrifugal force:a force that divides people and countries

centripetal force:a force that unites people and countries

common market:a group of countries that acts as a single market, without trade barriers between member countries

supranational cooperation:a form of international cooperation in which countries give up some control of their affairs as they work together to achieve shared goals

Examples of Centripetal Forces that unite Europe

How does a common market unite Europe?

Allowing goods and workers to travel more freely across borders

How does creation of a EU trading bloc unite Europe?

Unites Europe by allowing EU countries to have more power in the global economy than they would have individually.

How does the development of a supranational level of government unite Europe?

It allows Europe to work on issues that all Europeans share, like pollution.
It strengthens Europe’s voice in world affairs.

How does the development of a European citizenship unite Europe?

Citizens of member nations can live and work anywhere in the EU and vote in all EU elections.

How has the European Union united Europe by promoting a common culture?

It promotes Europe’s cultural identity.
This identity is associated with cultural symbols such as the EU flag, the EU anthem, and Europe Day.

How does increased travel unite Europe?

It unites Europe by allowing Europeans to begin to view Europe as one united regions.

Examples of Centrifugal Forces that divide Europe

How do the differences between western and eastern nations divide the EU?

Wealthier Western European countries are concerned that so much money is being spent in Central and Eastern Europe.
Some western Europeans also worry about losing jobs to other EU workers who are willing to work for less money.

What divisions are created by the use of the Euro?

Divisions occur when some European nations refuse to adopt the euro.
The euro divides the EU into two groups: countries with economies stable enough to be allowed to adopt the euro and countries with less stable economies.

How does the desire of European countries to keep their independence divide Europe?

Some European countries want to make their won decisions in areas life defense and foreign affairs, especially when they disagree with EU actions.

How can the expansion of EU membership cause division?

Cooperation becomes more difficult with more countries and cultures.

Why do languages divide the European Union?

With more than 20 languages, communication can be difficult.

What are some other forces that contribute to divisions among European countries?

National pride and cultural traditions are two other forces that contribute to divisions among European countries.

Chapter 15 Study Guide

Population Dilemmas in Europe

Essential Question: How do population trends affect a country’s future?

Geoterms you will need to know:

demography:the study of human populations, including how they change due to births, deaths, aging, and migration.

dependency ratio:the number of old and young dependents who don’t work compared with the working-age population. The higher the ratio, the more young and old people the workers have to support.

life expectancy:the average age that a person in a given population can expect to live to. Life expectancy varies from one country to another.

replacement rate:the total fertility rate needed for a population to replace itself. This number varies by country, but is about 2.1 in most developed countries.

total fertility rate (TFR):the average number of children a woman in a given population will have in her lifetime. This number is different in different countries.

Population trends in Europe

Europe is one of the smallest continents in area, but about an eighth of the world’s people live there.
Europe has the oldest population of any continent.
Europe has the lowest birth rate, or number of births per 1,000 people, as a result its population is shrinking.

Three factors that affect whether a population grows or shrinks

Total Fertility Rate: The average number of babies born to each woman in Europe is low.
Life Expectancy: People die every day in Europe, but they don’t die as young as they used to. Over the past century, life expectancy has increased. But, Europe does have the oldest population of any continent.
People move into and out of Europe every day. Today more people are moving into Europe than are leaving it. But not enough are coming to keep the population stable.

A Model of Population Change:

Demographers have identified several stages of population growth. The four major stages are shown below in the demographic transition model.

Stage 1: Low Population Growth

In this stage, high birth rates and high death rates result in little population change. All populations begin at this stage.

Stage 2: Rapid Population Growth

In this stage, birth rates remain high as economic development begins. But death rates fall as food supplies increase and health care improves. The result is rapid growth.

Stage 3: Slow Population Growth

As the economy improves, birth rates drop. Death rates stay low. Population growth begins to slow down.

Stage 4: No or Negative Population Growth

In developed countries, both birth rates and death rates drop to low levels. As a result, there is little or no population growth. Over time, birth rates may fall behind death rates. The result is a shrinking population.

Dilemma One: A Shrinking Population

Reasons for Europe’s low birth rates

The finances of a family play a part in how many children people have. Housing costs and living expenses are high in much of Europe.
Young couples often need two incomes to buy a home.
Young women usually put off having children in order to work.
In the past, mothers cared for their children at home. However, with both parents working, they need help to care for their children during the day. Good child care is hard to find. This discourages couples from having large families.
Family planning methods allow couples to control the number of children they have.
Many young women put off having babies while they focus on education or a career. Women who make this choice often have smaller families.

Problems caused by negative growth

Fewer children need fewer schools and teachers. Over time, this means that schools may have to close. Teachers may lose their job.
Other people who work with children may also find themselves out of work.
Toy stores and children’s clothing stores may go out of business.
Low birth rates are likely to lead to labor shortages. Businesses may not be able to find enough workers.
Some of these businesses may move to other countries. This could hurt Europe’s economy.
Negative growth also means fewer people to serve in the military forces. This could weaken some countries standing in the world.

Responses to Negative Growth

In some countries, families with three or more children receive additional benefits, such as reduced rents and lower taxes.
Lowering the costs associated with having children. i.e. help paying for the cost of daycare.
Many European governments now have family-friendly policies to help working parents.
A new parent is allowed to stay home with a baby without losing his or her job. This is called leave. During this leave, the parent is still paid.
Flexible work hours and the right to work part time.

Dilemma Two: An Aging Population

Causes of an Aging Population

The rise in a persons’ life expectancy and the drop in birth rates. This means that there are more old people and at the same time fewer younger people.
Europe will age even more rapidly in the years ahead because of an earlier baby boom.

Problems caused by an aging population

There will be more people retiring, which mean a dramatic increase in payout for pensions. A pension is a fixed amount of money paid to a retired person by a government or former employer. Pensions are usually paid from the time people retire until they die.
As people age, their need for health care increases. Older people are more likely to suffer from such diseases as cancer, diabetes, or arthritis. They are more likely to need expensive surgeries and costly medicines.
Most European countries provide pensions and health care form the elderly. However, the money for both comes from taxes paid by working people. This system works as long as the dependency ratio is low.
A solution would be to increase the amount of taxes for the workforce, but there are limits to how much workers are willing to be taxed.

Dilemma Three: A Declining Workforce

Causes of workforce decline

More workers retire each year than join the workforce. The decline will grow worse when the baby boomers start to retire.
Workforce decline leads to changes in dependency ratio. This is the ratio of dependents to workers. Dependents are people too young or too old to work.

Problems caused by workforce decline

For a business, workforce decline can mean that some businesses will leave a country for another with a larger workforce.
Other businesses may shrink or close their doors (go out of business).
This is a huge problem for the government, because workers pay most of the taxes that support government programs. Fewer workers will mean less tax money just at a time when the dependency ratio is rising.

Responses to a declining workforce

New immigration laws passed that make it easier for companies to hire skilled workers from other countries.
Keep older workers working longer. Germany, for example, retrains older workers. It also gives aid to companies that hire older workers. Other countries encourage older people to work part-time or at home.
Encouraging more women to join the workforce.
Governments hope that family friendly work policies will encourage more women to enter the workforce. i.e. flexible schedules