Galileo: Power, Pride, and Profit. The Relative Influence of Realist, Ideational, and Liberal Factors on the Galileo Satellite Program

Abstract : This study is about the European navigation satellite program dubbed "Galileo" and its ability to survive to date in the face of many serious obstacles. The study seeks to understand Galileo's ability to survive by answering two basic research questions: (1) Did realist factors, liberal factors, or ideational factors weigh the most heavily on European decision makers' assessments of the need for Galileo?; and (2) Are European decision makers' assessments of the need for Galileo being driven more by the international, European, national, or industrial levels? The study weighs these factors and assesses the influence of these levels upon European decision-makers at key decision points in 1999, 2002, 2004, and 2007 to determine whether Galileo's ability to survive may be attributed to changes in the comparative weight of these factors and levels over time.