Characteristics of a democracy Democratic deficit EU issues with the democratic deficit Permissive consensus First order contests Second order contests Strategic voting Sincere voting Affective support Utilitarian support Goals of regulatory policy Areas of deregulation Merger control Mutual Recognition Lamfalussy procedure Pluralist v Corporatist representation Collective action problem interest groups Interest group representation in democratic politics Goals of expenditure policy Fiscal federalism Own resources Budgetary constraints Cohesion funding o Principles o Objectives Tools of monetary policy Costs Benefits of a monetary union economic political Optimal Currency Area theory o Objectives o Tools for addressing economic asymmetries Stability and Growth Pact EU wide bailout package Joint actions Common positions Petersburg Tasks Constructive abstention Lisbon Strategy v Europe 2020 Charter of Fundamental Rights o Goals o Coverage Definition of Democracy European Parliament Reforms Democratic Deficit in the EU Pareto Efficient Credibility Crisis Why is democracy desirable Free and fair elections reasonable chance of government turnover ability to cast a vote and have choice without being threatened Elections are essential to democracy individuals have influence over decisions made Directly elected and more policy making power than before Though there is still a democratic deficit The EU lacks variety of political powers nothing really translates over into policy Increased executive power taken away from national governments weak European Parliament commission has no overseeing power to keep them in line distant from citizens EP is directly elected but the other bodies are distant from the public EP needs to have more power but the council and commission override the EP Citizens don t understand the process too complicated high degree of policy drift Officials are appointed to commission and council what citizens want are much different from what actually happens Providing the outcome that provides the most people with the most benefits EU does not suffer from a democratic deficit but from a credibility crisis They need to be more transparent and make the commission and council more accessible Responsive officials coalition formation coalitions in the EP would alleviate policy gridlock anticipate what will happen when a policy is proposed media coverage information provision more participation more information for citizens more involvement mandates government turnover public views it as illegitimate claim on power for any government that holds onto power they have lost elections Permissive Consensus First Order Contest Second Order Contest Strategic voting Sincere voting Affective Support Utilitarian Goals of regulatory policy Positive regulation Allow for elected officials to be trusted and have the power to make decisions This is a characteristic of the EU until the 1990s Individuals don t seem to know what s going on but they trust that whatever their government is doing is going to make the best decisions for them Any election for executive positions these are most public elections Any other election that isn t for executive positions More in the shadows and no one is really interested Has low turnout rate Democratic deficit is reflected here Voting for who you think can win rather than who you really want People vote differently in EP elections than national elections Democratic deficit are they actually reflecting the public at large if they are strategically voting First order contests are more strategic than second order contest Voting based on preference rather than who can win Citizens vote sincerely in second order voting because it s seen as less important Based on ideological and emotional attachment given to a certain outcome Gut reaction evaluations policy up for vote emotional or ideological reasons for policy to pass or not pass Support based on cost benefit analysis derived from belief that institution or policy will be beneficial or outweighs any cost Redistributive outcomes Intends to correct market failures Policies tend to be redistributive or efficient evaluates an outcome through logic and mathematics and empirical results Normative regulation focuses on what should be done based on some world value judgment on how things ought to be regulatory should be created by independent institution to be as efficient as possible Deregulation of the Single Market Elimination of barriers harmonize standards lifting border controls technical barriers being able to use credit cards and phones in other countries mutual recognition and single market scorecards Schengen Agreement declaration of border elimination between member states that signed on UK Ireland Denmark not included Schengen zone where you can travel anywhere in EU with an EU passport Deregulation Competition policy Anti trust regulation allows the EU to ensure that companies are not working amongst themselves to create policies in a certain way to skew the playing field regulation of state aid prevents national level subsidies that don t benefit the EU as a whole because it can give national institutions a competitive advantage merger control Merger Control 2004 reform for flexibility and transparency commission has ability to assess and veto any mergers in the EU worldwide turnover of 5billion or EU turnover of 250million Euros One month to scrutinize or approve proceedings Deregulation Services Integration Financial and non financial services Lamafalussy Procedure special service for financial a proposal created that would eventually go through legislative procedure an European Securities Commission helps write integration legislation Created Committiee of European Securities and Regulators that responsibilities would include overseeing implementation of legislation Established to help EU in social and political goals Lisbon agenda better national and EU policies deepening the common market modernizing the European social market set high social welfare standards secure sustainable growth policy that would make structural changes ensure EU would continue to grow and progress Open method of cooperation woks independently toward goals member states would work towards decided goals naming and shaming member states would publicly congratulate successful member state actions and shame nonsuccessful completers Private citizens or firms organize Equal access to policy makers and legislators Assumed all