The European Union and British democracy : towards convergence / Janet Mather.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mather, Janet, 1949-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Democracy--Great Britain.

Democracy.

Great Britain.

European Union.

European Union--Great Britain.

Physical Description:

xvii, 230 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : St. Martin's Press, 2000.

Summary:

This book looks at evolving trends in democracy at EU and UK levels, pointing out the primary shortcomings of both. It examines the relationship between democratic practices of the EU and the UK, explaining the paradox of the way in which the EU, despite the poor quality of its own democracy, has enabled devolved decision making in a novel multi-layer polity. The book also considers future prospects for converged Western European democracy in light of the Labour government's popularizing agenda.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Why Democracy? 8

1. The origin of democracy 8

1.1. Participatory democracy 8

1.2. Representative democracy 9

2. Democratic benefits 11

2.1. Minimalist democratic outcomes 12

2.2. Instrumentalist democratic outcomes 14

2.3. Organic democratic outcomes 17

2.4. Democratic outcomes reconsidered 21

3. Democratic inputs (1)

representation 22

3.1. Non-elected representation 22

3.2. Defining electoral representation 22

3.3. Theories of electoral representation 23

3.4. Types of elections within representative systems 24

3.5. Electoral representation and democratic benefits 25

3.6. Representative systems reconsidered 28

4. Democratic inputs (2)

participation 28

4.1. Problems for participatory democracy 28

4.2. Problems and opportunities offered by participatory forms 30

4.3. What is democratic decision-making? 32

4.4. Participatory democracy and democratic benefits 33

Chapter 2 Pre-Blairite Democracy in Britain 35

1. Development of the UK Parliament 35

2. The UK's constitution 36

2.1. Parliamentary sovereignty 36

2.2. Parliamentary democracy 36

2.3. The composition of Parliament 37

3. Democracy within the British constitution reviewed 40

4. The British House of Commons and representative democracy 41

4.2. The UK's electoral system and democracy 41

4.3. The British House of Commons as a representative body 43

5. The UK parliament and democracy 52

6. Central and local government in the UK 52

6.1. The constitutional position of local government 53

6.2. Parliament and local government before 1979 54

6.3. Parliament and local government 1979-1997 55

6.4. Centralisation, decentralisation and democracy 58

Chapter 3 The UK, the European Union and the Legitimacy Deficit 61

1. The prima facie case for reducing the UK's democratic deficit 61

2. European Union influence over the UK 62

3. The European Union and legitimacy 63

4. The European Union and the British public 65

5. European Union institutions and repairing the democratic deficit 67

5.1. The European Council 68

5.2. The Council of Ministers 68

5.3. The European Commission 70

5.4. The European Court of Justice 71

6. The European Parliament and the democratic deficit 71

7. Other prospects for democracy within the European Union 73

Chapter 4 Power and the European Parliament 76

1. Relations of power 76

2. Power, legitimacy and the European Parliament 76

3. Status of the European Parliament 76

4. Formal powers 77

4.1. The Treaties of Paris and Rome 77

4.2. From Rome to the Single European Act 79

4.3. The Single European Act 79

4.4. Treaty on European Union (Maastricht) 80

4.5. The Treaty of Amsterdam 82

5. Has the European Parliament sufficient formal power? 83

6. The European Parliament's use of power 83

6.1. Parliamentary Assent before the accession of new countries 84

6.2. Budgetary scrutiny 85

6.3. The European Parliament and the Commission 86

7. Use of power reconsidered 88

Chapter 5 Democracy and the European Parliament 91

1. Kratos and Demos 91

2. European elections and popular power 92

3. Electoral systems and the European Parliament 93

4. Democratic input: European Parliament elections 94

4.1. European Parliament awareness and electoral turnout 94

4.2. Voter effectiveness 95

4.3. Voter efficacy 96

4.4. Voting levels 97

4.5. The European Elections 1999 98

5. Towards a representative system or a representative democracy? 100

6. Democracy in input

alternative means of expression 102

7. The democratic significance of European Parliament elections 102

8. Towards democracy in outcome 103

8.1. Virtual representation 105

8.2. Individual representation 106

8.3. Judgmental representation 108

8.4. Political representation 110

8.5. Mandatory representation 113

9. The European Parliament and democracy in outcome 114

10. MEPs and demos 115

Chapter 6 The European Union: Vehicle for Participatory Democracy 117

1. Subsidiarity 117

2. The Committee of the Regions 123

2.1. Prospects 123

2.2. History of the Committee of the Regions 124

2.3. Allocation of members 126

2.4. Selection of members 126

2.5. The basis of appointment of representatives 127

2.6. Organisation of the Committee of the Regions 130

3. Challenges for the Committee of the Regions 130

4. Meeting the challenges 131

4.1. The corporate character 131

4.2. The meaningful role 135

4.3. The Committee of the Regions' relationships 135

4.4. Committee of the Regions effectiveness 137

4.5. The future of the Committee of the Regions 138

Chapter 7 The European Union's Options for Participatory Democracy 141

1. Options for participation 141

2. Potential for participation 141

3. Involving all of the people 143

3.1. Public debate 143

3.2. Referenda 144

4. Involving some of the people 145

5. Involving only the people affected ("Associative Democracy") 146

5.1. Interest groups and the European Union's institutions 147

5.2. Interest groups and increased popular participation 149

5.3. UK Interest group activity at European Union level 151

6. Multi-sector or multi-level governance? 152

Chapter 8 The European Union in Britain: Towards Multi-Level Governance 153

1. Multi-level governance, local government and democracy 153

2. The European Union and the status of sub-national government 155

3. "The empire fights back"

the response of the UK government to regionalisation 1993-1997 157

4. Sub-national government, funding and the European Union 158

5. A study of Structural Funds and north west Cheshire 160

5.1. Allocation of European Union funds 161

5.2. Involvement of local elected persons 162

6. Local government and the European Union 165

6.1. Is funding the only significant factor? 166

6.2. How has sub-national government reacted? 168

6.3. A study of two Councils 170

6.4. Significant factors for councils 177

Chapter 9 Converging Democracy: Blair's Britain and the European Union 180

1. The 1997 Labour government, constitutional reform and the European Union 180

2. Individual rights and powers 181

2.1. Human Rights Act 1998 181

2.2. Draft Freedom of Information Bill 1999 183

2.3. Quangos 185

3. National institutional reform - The House of Lords 187

4. Regional devolution 190

5. Local government reform 193

6. Electoral reform 196

6.1. Referenda 196

6.2. Proportional representation 197

Conclusion: Snapshots and Photographs 200.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [203]-219) and index.

ISBN:

0312235771

OCLC:

44026391