Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3196: Democracy in the European Union

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Overview

NQF Level 6
Credits 30 ECTS Value 15
Term(s) and duration

This module ran during term 1 (11 weeks) and term 2 (11 weeks)

Academic staff

Dr Sandra Kroger (Convenor)

Pre-requisites

None

Co-requisites

None

Available via distance learning

No

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 created

01/06/2015

Last revised

26/09/2019