This study is about the European navigation satellite program dubbed "Galileo" and its ability to date to survive in the face of many serious obstacles. It 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? This 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 in order to judge whether or not Galileo's ability to survive may be attributed to changes in the comparative weight of these factors and levels over time. |