Overview

Exploring the European Union's democratic deficit, this work traces the halting development of parliamentary democracy at the European level. Arguing that the key actor in this crucial process is the European parliament, the contributors concentrate on two of the classic functions of a parliament: the legislative and the representative. Parliament's modern role as co-legislator is the result of a continuous and bitter battle with the Council and the member states for more law-making power. This has led to an increase of Parliament's authority, especially under the co-decision procedure embedded in the Treaty of Amsterdam. Essential for its representative function is the development of a Europe-wide party system. The contributors analyze the ongoing tensions between party orientations and national loyalties, between national parties and European party groups, and between representatives at the national and regional level. Representing the cutting edge of analysis and empirical research on the European Parliament, this work should be useful reading for all students of the EU.

Full Product Details

Author:   Bernard Steunenberg ,  Jacques Thomassen ,  Stefanie Bailer ,  Luciano Bardi
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint:   Rowman & Littlefield
Dimensions:   Width: 15.00cm , Height: 1.30cm , Length: 22.60cm
Weight:   0.308kg
ISBN:  

9780742501263

ISBN 10:   0742501264
Pages:   256
Publication Date:   02 July 2002
Audience:   General/trade ,  Professional and scholarly ,  General ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction Part 2 Representation Chapter 3 Parties and Voters: The Feasibility of a European System of Political Representation Chapter 4 Can the Circle Be Squared? Political Representation and Political Integration in Europe Chapter 5 Transnational Trends: The Evolution of the European Party System Part 6 Members and Parties Chapter 7 Beneficial Cooperation or Mutual Ignorance? Contacts between MEPs and National Parties Chapter 8 Going Native? Institutional and Partisan Loyalty in the European Parliament Part 9 The Parliament as Legislator Chapter 10 When Words Matter: Informal Rules and the Enlargement Debate Chapter 11 Playing Different Games: The European Parliament and the Reform of Codecision Chapter 12 The European Parliament and Environmental Legislation

Reviews

This volume represents a broad and comprehensive empirical and analytical overview of recent trends in relation to the evolution of the European Parliament. It is well-research and well-written, presenting a methodical and convincing argument. The extensive use of models, surveys, and empirical data strengthens the weight of the argument and succeeds in challenging many commonly and widely held beliefs about the EP. Journal Of Contemporary European Studies

Author Information

Bernard Steunenberg is professor of public administration at Leiden University, the Netherlands. Jacques Thomassen is professor of political science at the University of Twente, the Netherlands.

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