
Political Theory and the European Union : Legitimacy, Constitutional Choice and Citizenship.
Title:
Political Theory and the European Union : Legitimacy, Constitutional Choice and Citizenship.
Author:
Nentwich, Michael.
ISBN:
9780203177198
Personal Author:
Edition:
1st ed.
Physical Description:
1 online resource (220 pages)
Series:
Routledge/ECPR Studies in European Political Science
Contents:
Book Cover -- Half-Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Contributors -- Series editor's preface -- Abbreviations -- 1 Introduction -- Political legitimacy and the democratic deficit -- Decision rules and the constitutional construction of the EU -- Citizenship and constitutional choice -- Constitutional choice after Amsterdam -- Conclusion -- Reference -- 2 Legitimacy and the European Union -- Introduction: legitimacy and the European Union -- Identity: who are the people? -- Authorisation, representativeness and accountability -- Performance -- Conclusion -- References -- 3 Democracy, legitimacy and majority rule in the European Union -- Introduction: the double duty of 'democracy' -- A contractualist account of legitimacy -- Justifying majority rule -- Against majority rule? -- Conclusion: the ends of Europe -- References -- 4 Between representation and constitutionalism in the European Union -- Introduction -- A theory of democratic institutions -- Two traditions of democratic theory -- Institutional features of the European Union -- Competing conceptions of democracy -- Instead of a blueprint -- References -- 5 Defending the democratic deficit -- Double asymmetry -- The perpetuity clause -- Democratic accountability -- Provisional suprastatism -- Did the Court solve the problem? -- References -- 6 The European Union -- Setting the framework -- Images of integration in the 1990s -- The new politics of co-determination -- From Gesellschaft to Gemeinschaft? -- Reforming the system -- Reflections on the institutional agenda -- Theorising reform -- 'Stirred, not shaken…' -- Conclusion -- References -- 7 Legitimacy dilemmas of supranational governance -- Political integration, institutional reform and the crisis of legitimacy -- Normative foundations of European integration -- Legitimising European governance: beyond majoritarian democracy.
Multiple accountability of the European Commission -- Conclusion: squaring the triangle? -- References -- 8 How to democratise a multi-level, multi-dimensional polity -- The problem -- Inadequate solutions -- Upgrading the Parliament -- The Committee of the Regions -- A federal solution? -- Elements of a multi-level, multi-dimensional polity model -- A contractarian approach -- Territorial and sectoral representation -- A system of veto rights -- The problem of decision-making efficiency -- Open questions -- Notes -- References -- 9 Opportunity structures for citizens' participation -- Introduction -- Opportunity structures for citizens' participation -- OSCPs of the European Union -- Voting at the European level -- Petitions to the European Parliament -- Hearings and conferences organised by the European Parliament -- Direct contacts with MEPs -- Addressing the Ombudsperson -- Letter writing to the Commission -- Green and White Papers -- Hearings and conferences organised by the Commission -- Participation in EC committees -- Being active in small interest groups -- Membership in large interest groups, parties or federations -- Proceedings before the ECJ -- Protest in the European context -- European mass media -- Eurobarometer -- The political opportunity structure of the European Union -- Citizens' involvement in EU politics: status quo and innovative proposals -- Notes -- References -- 10 The many democratic deficits of the European Union -- Introduction -- The need for a constitution -- Broadening the concept of democracy -- Citizenship: what and for whom? -- Economic integration, the democratic deficit and the role of regions -- Objections -- Conclusion -- Note -- References -- 11 European Union citizenship as a model of citizenship beyond the nation state -- The radical potential of EU citizenship.
The sadness of the potential? The EU and the citizen after Amsterdam -- Note -- References -- 12 European Union citizenship and supranational democracy -- Introduction -- The political subject of democracy in normative and empirical dimensions -- European Union democracy -- EU citizenship as the institutional foundation of a European public sphere: possible developments -- Citizenship in the Amsterdam Treaty -- Concluding remarks -- Notes -- References -- 13 Environmental protection in a liberal democratic Europe -- Preliminaries -- Liberal democracy, European and universal -- Environmental ethics and policies -- The compatibility of liberty and nature -- Conclusion: European CDM on environmental issues -- Note -- References -- Index.
Abstract:
The contributors to this book examine the issues of constitutional choice that face the governments and citizens of today's Europe. Divided into three sections this study addresses: questions of political legitimacy and the meaning of democratic deficit in the EU; the reality of what institutional reforms and decision making processes are possible; and the rights of citizenship and values that should be protected.
Local Note:
Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2017. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.
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