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Abstract:
As the power and scope of the European Union moves further, beyond traditional forms of international cooperation between sovereign states, it is important to analyse how these developments are impacting upon national institutions and processes of democratic representation and legitimacy in the member countries. The authors in this book identify four core processes of democratic governance present in any democratic political system that link societal and state processes of decision-making: opinion formation, interest intermediation, national executive decision-making and national parliamentary scrutiny.
From a normative perspective they discuss what impacts this process of Europeanization has on democracy in the evolving system. They conclude that more changes are seen within the state-centric than in the societal-centred processes of democracy, thus the public seems to have been ‘left behind’ in the process of constructing Europe. The empirical research and normative discussion presented in this book are designed to further our knowledge concerning the Europeanization of social and state processes of democracy and to contribute to the continuing dialogue on democracy in the European Union.
This book will be of great interest to academics and researchers of political science, public policy and international relations, as well as those interested in European studies and comparative politics.
Contents:
1. Introduction: Democratic Governance and European Integration - Ronald Holzhacker and Erik Albæk
Part I: Opinion Formation and Interest Intermediation in Multi-Level Governance
2. Visibility and Framing of European Integration in the Media - Claes de Vreese
3. Europeanization of Expert References in the Media? Researchers as Sources in Danish Daily Newspapers 1961–2001 - Erik Albæk, Peter Munk Christiansen, and Lise Togeby
4. National Election Campaigns and European Issues - Ronald Holzhacker and Andrea Römmele
5. Resisting Change: European Integration and National Party Systems - Tapio Raunio
6. Interest Organizations and European integration - Ove K. Pedersen
Part II: Executive Decision-Making and National Parliamentary Scrutiny
7. Undermining Democratic Governance in the Member States? The Europeanization of National Decision-Making - Tanja A. Börzel and Carina Sprungk
8. The Europeanization of National Executives: Changing Capacities and Ambivalent Effects on Democracy - Ignacio Molina and César Colino
9. Adapting to Europe: Strategic Europeanization of National Parliaments - Katrin Auel
10. National Parliamentary Scrutiny: Comparing Rules, Institutions and Behaviour - Ronald Holzhacker
11. A Model for the Strictest Scrutiny? The Danish European Affairs Committee in a Party Group Perspective - Henrik Jensen
12. The Southern European Pattern of Parliamentary Scrutiny of EU Legislation: Emulating the French Model - José M. Magone
13. The Role of the ECE Parliaments in EU Integration - Attila Ágh
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