Democratic Dilemmas Of Multilevel Governance

Description:
The 'democratic deficit' of the European Union is a much discussed concern of politicians and commentators, and this insightful collection argues that this is a result of the multi-level nature of EU governance. Focusing on the EU, this volume examines the problems multilevel governance causes for democratic legitimacy by placing it in a comparative and theoretical context, and explores how challenges faced by the EU compare with those faced by traditional federal systems worldwide. Through a combination of theoretical perspectives and empirical research, this book offers the means to evaluate the various explanations for the problems facing democracy within the EU and shows how legitimacy and accountability can be improved.

Table of Contents:
List of Tables - List of Figures - List of Abbreviations - Notes on Contributors - Preface - Introduction; J.DeBardeleben & A.Hurrelman - PART ONE: MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE AND DEMOCRATIC LEGITIMACY: CONCEPTUAL ISSUES - Multilevel Legitimacy: Conceptualizing Legitimacy Relationships Between the EU and National Democracies; A.Hurrelmann - Federalism and Democratic Accountability; J.Smith - Between Anarchy and Hierarchy: Governance Lessons From Global Economic Institiutions; R.Germain - PART TWO: SOCIAL UNDERPINNINGS OF DEMOCRACY IN THE EU - Europeanization and Democracy: The Question of Cultural Identity; G.Delanty - The Quest for a European Public Sphere: News Media and Democratic Legitimacy; H.Wessler, M.Bruggemann, K.Kleinen-von Konigslow, S.Sifft & A.Wimmel - Is There a European Society? Social Conditions for Democracy in the European Union; A.Hurrelmann - PART THREE: POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN THE EU'S MULTILEVEL SYSTEM - European Elections and Democratic Accountability: The 2004 Elections to the European Parliament; L.LeDuc - National Parliaments and European Integration: Learning to Play the Multilevel Game; T.Raunio - Organized Civil Society and Input Legitimacy in the EU;J.Greenwood - PART FOUR: EU ENLARGEMENT, DEMOCRACY AND MULTILEVEL GOVERNANCE - Euroscepticism as a Path for Inclusion: Multilevel Governance in the EU as Seen from the East; D.Ost - Gender Equality and Multilevel Governance in East Central Europe;Y.Galligan & S.Clavero - Conclusion;J>DeBardeleben & A.Hurrelmann - Bibliography - Index

Author Biography:
JOAN DEBARDELEBEN is Director of the Centre for European Studies and Professor of Political Science and of European and Russian Studies at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. After completing a B.A. in Russian Language and Literature, she received her PhD in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. DeBardeleben's research deals with Russian politics, including public opinion, elections, federalism and EU-Russian relations. Recent publications include: Soft or Hard Borders: Managing the Divide in an Enlarged Europe (editor and contributor); 'Russia', in M. Kesselm