Democratic Deficit
A democratic deficit (or democracy deficit) occurs when ostensibly democratic organizations or institutions (particularlygovernments) fall short of fulfilling the principles of democracy in their practices or operation where representative and linked parliamentary integrity becomes widely discussed.[1]
The phrase democratic deficit is cited as first being used by the Young European Federalists in their Manifesto in 1977,[2] which was drafted by Richard Corbett. The phrase was also used by David Marquand in 1979, referring to the then European Economic Community, the forerunner of the European Union.[3]
United Nations[edit]
Many authors[who?] have argued that the United Nations suffers from a democratic deficit, because it lacks a body of directly elected representatives. The UN Parliamentary Assembly has been proposed as a way of ameliorating this deficit.[4] However, even the creation of such an organ would not affect the great power veto in the UN Security Council, under which important UN decisions can be vetoed by China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom or the United States. Reform of the UN Security Council through amendments to the United Nations Charter could change this, but such reform would itself be subject to the great power veto.
European Union[edit]
Main article: Democratic deficit in the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a unique organisation – not a federation, yet not just an international organisation. Whether there is a democratic deficit in the EU depends on how it is viewed. Compared to an ideally democratic nation state the EU is less democratic and thus has a democratic deficit. If the EU, however, is compared to an international organisation like the World Trade Organisation, the World Bank or the United Nations the EU has a democratic surplus.
The biggest democratic difficulties for the European Union are the low popular interest in the EU, the already low and consistently decreasing turnout in elections to the European
The phrase democratic deficit is cited as first being used by the Young European Federalists in their Manifesto in 1977,[2] which was drafted by Richard Corbett. The phrase was also used by David Marquand in 1979, referring to the then European Economic Community, the forerunner of the European Union.[3]
United Nations[edit]
Many authors[who?] have argued that the United Nations suffers from a democratic deficit, because it lacks a body of directly elected representatives. The UN Parliamentary Assembly has been proposed as a way of ameliorating this deficit.[4] However, even the creation of such an organ would not affect the great power veto in the UN Security Council, under which important UN decisions can be vetoed by China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom or the United States. Reform of the UN Security Council through amendments to the United Nations Charter could change this, but such reform would itself be subject to the great power veto.
European Union[edit]
Main article: Democratic deficit in the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a unique organisation – not a federation, yet not just an international organisation. Whether there is a democratic deficit in the EU depends on how it is viewed. Compared to an ideally democratic nation state the EU is less democratic and thus has a democratic deficit. If the EU, however, is compared to an international organisation like the World Trade Organisation, the World Bank or the United Nations the EU has a democratic surplus.
The biggest democratic difficulties for the European Union are the low popular interest in the EU, the already low and consistently decreasing turnout in elections to the European