The European Union is
an economic powerhouse but not an international security powerhouse. My research aims to understand why this is. That essentially is my question. The European single market, derived from a
half century of European Union (EU) integration, allows free trade to occur
across 27 countries and common regulations govern how member states act
economically. Through classes, reading
books, and following current events, I knew this narrative prior to my
research. What I did not understand
about the EU is why member states were not able to act together on
international security issues. In fact,
I knew very little of the foreign policy statute of the complex supranational
body.
Research, to me, is
all about discovering the unknown and the opportunity to understand a complex
global problem was provided by the George Mason Undergraduate Research Scholars
Program. This semester I have been
addressing two related questions, what factors determine EU cohesiveness in
international security? And
subsequently, under what conditions do the EU and the United States collaborate
on international security policy?
Throughout I have reviewed hundreds of pages of scholarly literature,
declared policies, and written treaties.
In addition, I conduct interviews with scholars, government officials,
and policy makers to determine how both the EU and US address the key issues in
international security.
What’s next? Perhaps my research experience may translate into
positions with foreign policy think tanks in Washington, the Brookings
Institute and the Bipartisan Policy Center for example. Maybe I will combine this research experience
with my previous experience as a congressional intern to take the next step,
becoming a fellow or staffer on Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This research could lay the foundation for a
dissertation I write when I am pursuing a Ph.D.
No matter what, the experiences that I have had this semester as a
scholar have taught me more than I could imagine and will serve me well in the
future.
