This work investigates the historical and structural evolution of the European Union to determine how liberal constitutionalism has increasingly facilitated authoritarian governance. Michael A. Wilkinson, a professor of law, utilizes a rigorous legal and historical framework to argue that the institutional design of the European project has systematically insulated economic policy from democratic contestation. By examining the shift from post-war social democracy to neoliberal integration, the author demonstrates how the prioritization of market stability over popular sovereignty has eroded the democratic foundations of modern European states.

Scholars and political theorists frequently cite this text for its dense, sophisticated critique of neoliberal institutionalism. Experts highlight the work as a significant contribution to the study of constitutional law and the democratic deficit within the European Union.