Reflection on the British attitude towards membership in the EC/EU under the premiership of Harold Macmillan and David Cameron

The thesis reflects on the British attitude towards membership in the European Communities and the European Union under the premiership of Harold Macmillan and David Cameron, respectively. The theoretical section of the thesis defines the basic concepts related to the topic and presents available theoretical approaches. Closer attention is dedicated to traditional institutionalism, which defines the categories of costs and benefits as well as the sources of preferences that determine the government's decisions on ascension to the European integration process. In its practical section, the thesis outlines British opinions on individual stages and milestones of the European integration ranging from World War II to the filing of the official application for accession to the European Economic Community. The paper also identifies specific factors that participate in the decision-making process to redefine European politics under Macmillan's and Cameron's governments. The principal finding is that the two governments ascribe highly differing importance to individual types of costs and benefits and prefer different viewpoints in the decision-making process, which naturally leads to different conclusions.