Democratic Governance and European Integration

Hardback

Democratic Governance and European Integration

Linking Societal and State Processes of Democracy

9781845424480 Edward Elgar Publishing
Edited by Ronald Holzhacker, Senior Lecturer, Comparative Political Science and International Relations, University of Groningen, The Netherlands and Erik Albæk, Professor of Political Science and Journalism, University of Southern Denmark
Publication Date: 2007 ISBN: 978 1 84542 448 0 Extent: 296 pp
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.

Copyright & permissions

Recommend to librarian

Your Details

Privacy Policy

Librarian Details

Download leaflet

Print page

More Information
Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
More Information
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.
Critical Acclaim
‘. . . the book brings together a very competent group of scholars who cover the volume’s theme rather comprehensively, and whose contributions are, at the same time, assembled into a coherent whole. The volume impresses particularly through its empirical richness. It constitutes a valuable contribution to knowledge and should be of interest to scholars and students working on democratic governance, Europeanization and European integration, more generally.’
– Arne Niemann, Acta Politica

‘This volume adds a significant new angle to the debate about democracy in Europe. In going beyond the well-established institutional politics at the European level, the contributions to this book take things further by covering in some detail what happens before decisions are taken in Brussels. In particular, the focus on issues such as the role of the media, the involvement of national administrations or the scrutiny of EU decisions by national parliaments provides a more comprehensive picture than we have had so far of “European democracy”. This book will be of great interest to scholars and students of European integration.’
– Thomas Christiansen, European Institute of Public Administration, The Netherlands
Contributors
Contributors: A. Ágh, E. Albæk, K. Auel, T.A. Börzel, P.M. Christiansen, C. Colino, C. de Vreese, R. Holzhacker, H. Jensen, J.M. Magone, I. Molina, O.K. Pedersen, T. Raunio, A. Römmele, C. Sprungk, L. Togeby
Contents
Contents:

Foreword

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

Index
eBook for individuals
978 1 78254 352 7
From £25.00
Click here for options
eBook options

Available for individuals to buy from these websites

Or recommend to your institution to acquire on Elgaronline
  • Buy as part of an eBook subject collection - flexible options available
  • Downloading and printing allowed
  • No limits on concurrent user access, ideal for course use
My Cart