The European Union: How Democratic Is It?

The European Union: How Democratic Is It?
Author: Svein S Andersen
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 308
Release: 1996-02-27
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780761951131

Taking as its starting point the major issues of democracy which are the ongoing concerns of every liberal Western political system, this volume offers a wide-ranging review of democracy in the European Union. It treats the EU as a new type of political system within the tradition of parliamentary democracies, a system which is neither federal nor intergovernmental, and which consequently has unique problems of how to handle democratic requirements. Part One deals with the two major challenges of interest articulation in the EU, political parties and lobbying. The second part discusses how democracy becomes the key element in the linkage between the EU and its member states, focusing on France, Italy and Belgium where the r

Democracy in Europe

Democracy in Europe
Author: Vivien A. Schmidt
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2006-10-19
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0199266972

This eagerly awaited volume, from a leading scholar on Europeanization, explores the impact of European integration on national democracies. Focusing on the case studies of France, Britain, Italy, and Germany, this is an exciting contribution to work on the implications of European integration for democratic government.

How to Democratize the European Union-- and why Bother?

How to Democratize the European Union-- and why Bother?
Author: Philippe C. Schmitter
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 166
Release: 2000
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9780847699056

A contradictory creation indeed, the European Union has most of the institutions of a modern democracy, yet it does not function as one. Moreover, its growing scope of activity and supranational decision making processes are undermining the legitimacy of democracy in its member states. Much has been written about this double "democratic deficit," but surprisingly little thought has been given to what to do about it--short of drafting and ratifying a new federal constitution. In this provocative book, Philippe C. Schmitter explores both the possibility and the desirability of democratizing the EU. He argues that as a "non-state" and a "non nation" it will have to invent new forms of citizenship, representation, and decisionmaking if it is ever to democratize itself. The author also contends that the timing and political context work against a full-scale constitutionalization of the process. He proposes a number of modest (and some less modest) reforms that could improve the situation in the near future and eventually lead to a genuine Euro-democracy.

The European Union and Democracy Promotion

The European Union and Democracy Promotion
Author: Richard Youngs
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2010-10-15
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0801897327

Richard Youngs is the director of Fride, Madrid, and an associate professor at the University of Warwick. He has authored five books, including Europe栒ole in Global Politics: A Retreat from Liberal Internationalism --Book Jacket.

Democracy and Lobbying in the European Union

Democracy and Lobbying in the European Union
Author: Karolina Karr
Publisher: Campus Verlag
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2007
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3593384124

Can interest groups and lobbyists arguably undemocratic institutions operate in democratic systems without hindering the people s interests? Karolina Karr s "Democracy and Lobbying in the European Union" explores the role and potential impact of interest groups on democracy, both in theory and practice, in the context of a changing continent. This timely volume explores how the power of interest groups has developed due to the growing distance between elected representatives and the European people and forecasts what this development might mean for the vitality of government."

Democracy in the European Union

Democracy in the European Union
Author: Erik Oddvar Eriksen
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2002-09-11
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 113458993X

The European Union is widely held to suffer from a democratic deficit, and this raises a wider question: can democracy at all be applied to decision-making bodies beyond the nation state? Today, the EU is a highly complex entity undergoing profound changes. This book asks how the type of cooperation that the EU is based on can be explained; what are the integrative forces in the EU and how can integration at a supra-national level come about? The key thinkers represented in this volume stress that in order to understand integration beyond the nation state, we need new explanatory categories associated with deliberation because a supranational entity as the EU posesses far weaker and less well-developed means of coercion - bargaining resources - than do states. The most appropriate term to denote this is the notion of 'deliberative supranationalism'. This pioneering work, headed by major writers such as Habermas, Schlesinger and Bellamy, brings a new perspective to this key issue in contemporary politics and political theory.

The European Union's Democracy Promotion in Central Asia

The European Union's Democracy Promotion in Central Asia
Author: Aijan Sharshenova
Publisher: Ibidem Press
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2018
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9783838211510

Brussels made democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and good governance its top co-operation priorities in the EU Strategy Framework towards Central Asia for 2007?2013. This book examines two interrelated questions: To what extent has EU democracy promotion in Central Asia been successful? And, to the extent that it was successful, why was it so? The book presents a comprehensive analytical framework for the evaluation of democracy promotion, including factors which may facilitate or hinder democratic development in Central Asia.

Democratizing Europe

Democratizing Europe
Author: A. Vauchez
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 100
Release: 2016-02-09
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1137540915

Drawing from recent streams of scholarship, Democratizing Europe provides a renewed portrait of EU government that point at the enduring leading role of independent powers (the European Court, Commission and Central Bank). Vauchez suggests that we recognize this centrality and adjust our democratization strategies accordingly.

Democracy in Europe

Democracy in Europe
Author: Daniel Innerarity
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 282
Release: 2018-03-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3319721976

This book calls for a philosophical consideration of the development, challenges and successes of the European Union. The author argues that conceptual innovation is essential if progress on the European project is to be made; new meanings, rather than financial or institutional engineering solutions, will help solve the crisis. By applying a philosophical approach to diagnosing the EU crisis, the book reconsiders the basic concepts of democracy in the context of the complex reality of the EU and the globalised world where profound social and political changes are taking place. It will be of interest to students and scholars interested in EU politics, political theory and philosophy.