The European Union_the world's greatest experiment in interstate reconciliation through regional integration_is now fifty years old. However, it remains a mystery to many people in and outside Europe. This clear and comprehensive book is dedicated to 'demystifying' the EU for both introductory and seasoned students of European integration. Roy H. Ginsberg begins with the foundation blocks of history, law, economics, and politics to provide the context for understanding integration. He then deconstructs the EU into its individual elements to examine them in relation to one another and to the whole before reconstructing the EU as a single polity. In doing so, he evaluates the EU's scope for agency and its effects on Europeans and non-Europeans alike. Emphasizing this wider perspective, Ginsberg convincingly demonstrates that the EU is a wellspring of support for conflict prevention and resolution throughout the world.