Publication

This paper examines the extent to which the EU and its institutions are democratic. The authors begin by looking at definitions of democracy and the historical development of democratic political systems. They then look at the European Union's decision-making institutions and examine whether they conform to generally accepted norms of democratic government. They suggest that there does seem to be a 'democratic deficit' in the EU and then analyze some of its causes. They also consider possible remedies to overcome this deficit, including those proposed by the UK Government.