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Democracy in the European Union
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Democracy in the European Union
Theory, Practice and Reform

First Edition

Other Titles in:
EU Politics

March 2003 | 156 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
`This is a most welcome contribution to current discourses on democratising the European polity. Warleigh's thought-provoking analysis, by drawing from a rich spectrum of normative theorizing and empirical sources, produces sharp insights and a valuable reference tool for anyone interested in the governance and polity of Europe' - Dimitris N Chryssochoou, University of Exeter

`Warleigh's theoretically sophisticated and empirically rich inquisition of the nature and evolution of democratic reform in the European Union will be an important addition to the literature. This book is neither euro-sceptic nor EU-friendly. It is a challenging call to all interested parties - citizens and scholars - to take seriously the question of investing EU institutions and procedures with more than just a surface veneer of democracy' - Jo Shaw, Professor of European Law, University of Manchester

This book comprehensively reviews one of the most salient, ongoing debates at the heart of the European Union (EU) today: democratic reform.

It provides a thorough evaluation of how democracy might best be defined in the transnational context of the EU and explores the key strategies that have been deployed to enhance the Union's democracy from the Single European Act to the present day.

In considering why the strategies have been unsuccessful, Alex Warleigh contends that the EU can only democratize itself by abandoning federalism, and working towards a more participatory democracy based on flexibility and active European citizenship. The book therefore advances important new ways in which the EU's `democratic deficit' problems might be addressed more effectively than in the past.

Marking a significant contribution to this key on-going debate, Democracy in the European Union: Theory, Practice and Reform will be essential reading for all students, scholars and professionals seeking a deeper understanding of the nature of the EU and the reform challenges it faces into the twenty-first century.

 
Introductory Overview
The `Democratic Deficit' and the Normative Turn in European Union Studies

 
 
Bringing Functionalism Back In
Critical Deliberativism, Liberal Democracy and the Democratic Deficit

 
 
Reconfiguring Sovereignty
Subsidiarity and Flexibility

 
 
Institutional Reform
The Paradoxical Case of the European Parliament

 
 
Increasing EU Scope and Powers
The Cases of Environment and Regional Policies

 
 
Demos Construction
The Arrested Development of European Citizenship

 
 
Conclusions
Towards Substantive Democracy in the European Union

 

Sample Materials & Chapters

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