"Political development in historical perspective." This panel will explore processes of political development in Europe, from the deep roots of comparative statebuilding in the historical work of Sheri Berman, to Anna Grzymala-Busse's exploration of the understudied role of the church in battling with the nascent state in accruing power in early modern Europe, to Harris Mylonas's assessment of the different legacies of Ottoman institutions in Southern Europe. Finally, the panel is rounded out with a more contemporary views of the role of statebuilding theories in explaining both the advances and the obstacles to integration in the EU, from Dan Kelemen and Kathleen McNamara.