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Democracy in the European Union

Module description

Democracy in and of the European Union (EU) is a key topic in political science. Political representation is a main feature of democracy and takes many forms – parliaments, parties, interest groups, etc. The EU, ever since the passing of the presumed ‘permissive consensus’ in the early 1990s, has tried to accommodate the uneasiness of its many critics in order to democratize itself. However, despite changes within the institutions of the EU designed to enhance its representative legitimacy, the EU still encounters criticisms of a ‘democratic deficit’. This module focuses on the relationship between democracy and the EU by tracking the developments of the different channels of representation within the EU, and their possible interaction – or lack thereof. It will also discuss the issue of the ‘democratic deficit’, particularly in the light of the Euro debt and financial crisis and the upcoming UK referendum on the EU.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module familiarizes you with core theories, debates and actors of political representation in the EU. It aims at providing you with the skills to engage in current debates on parliaments, parties, interest groups and civil society, and to apply core theories to a range of political phenomena central to this subfield of political science, as well as to critically evaluate the usefulness of these theories. Furthermore, the module familiarizes you with the debate around the democratic deficit of the EU and challenges you to develop your own position on the topic. In doing so, it aims to equip you with the analytical skills required to describe and explain the hybrid system of political representation in the EU. Case studies and a simulation are used to illustrate key issues and challenges. The first part of the module deals with core theoretical debates. The second part focuses on the empirical workings of different actors of political representation in the EU.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. demonstrate understanding of core concepts and approaches regarding democracy, political legitimacy and political representation and their application to the EU context;
• 2. give an account of the main institutions, actors and processes of governance in the EU;
• 3. show theoretical and practical knowledge of the debate on the ‘democratic deficit’ of the EU;
• 4. critically engage with on-going debates on the ‘democratic deficit’ and the political legitimacy of the EU;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. critically evaluate core concepts;
• 6. construct rigorous arguments which show an understanding of key theories;
• 7. deploy theoretical arguments and apply them to empirical case studies in European public policy;
• 8. justify own choices of theory, research design and method with regard to individual research interests and research questions in the field of EU studies;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 9. critically evaluate ideas and debates;
• 10. write clearly and coherently;
• 11. deploy the ability to communicate clearly and deliver presentations to peers;
• 12. work independently and in collaboration with peers; and
• 13. use IT for the retrieval and presentation of information.

Syllabus plan

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Manin, Bernard, 1997, The Principles of Representative Government, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Introduction, Chapter 2, 4-6, Conclusion.

Pitkin, Hanna, 1967, The Concept of Representation, Berkeley: University of California Press.

Scharpf, Fritz, 1999, Governing in Europe: Effective and Democratic? Oxford: OUP

Richardson, Jeremy and Mazey, Sonja (eds.), 2015, European Union. Power and Policy-Making, 4^th edition. Abingdon: Routledge.

Moravcsik, Andrew, 2002, In Defence of the 'Democratic Deficit': Reassessing Legitimacy in the European Union, Journal of Common Market Studies 40 (4): 603-24.

Follesdal, Andreas and Simon Hix, 2006, Why there is a Democratic Deficit in the European Union. A Response to Majone and Moravcsik, Journal of Common Market Studies 44 (3): 533-62.

Key words search

EU, representation, parties, civil society, government