Democracy and the democratic deficit in the EU and US political systems : issues and remedies

Abstract

The primary aims that this research embarks upon are the identification of the factors which contribute to a democratic deficit in the political systems of the United States of America and the European Union, as well as the calculation of the intensity of the practice of democracy in each political entity. The secondary aim is to find out what any of the two political systems can learn from each other in terms of the rectification of their democratic imbalances. To this end, the first chapter deals with the concept of democracy by giving an overview of the development of this concept from its inception to its current form. In addition, this chapter examines several other elements which are necessary for the making of this dissertation, such as democratic scales and the factors which are claimed to contribute to democratic deficiencies. The basis for the comparison between these two political systems is also set here by clearly stating the similarities between the two. The second as well as the third chapters deal with the political systems of both the United States of America as well as the European Union one, respectively. The aim here is to investigate the elements of these political systems which are the direct contributors to the democratic deficit. Both chapters end with a description of what has been attempted over the years, or currently, in order to rectify the democratic deficiencies. In turn, the fourth chapter which is the concludatory one, compares the two political systems through the democratic scales in order to determine which one is the most democratic. In spite of the presence of democratic shortcomings in both entities, both political systems are more or less the same in terms of democracy. In addition, the secondary aim of this research is answered by trying to determine what one political system can learn from the other. The findings to this do not amount to much, thus showing the uniqueness of the European Union, despite the many similarities that it shares with the United States of America.