To address this question, your paper should use course readings and lecture materials to do the following:
1. Define the “democratic deficit”.
2. Compare/contrast assessments of the “democratic deficit” as detailed in course readings (i.e., look at arguments regarding the democratic deficit posed by Hix, Schmidt, Moravscik and Leonard).
3. Evaluate these arguments, using your understanding of the European Union (e.g., political institutions, public opinion, party politics, and interest aggregation).
4. Use the above to construct your argument as to whether (and where) a “democratic deficit” exists in the EU.
The essay should be 6-8 pages in length, use 12-point font and standard margins, and contain a bibliography. There is a handout on the course website “Writing a Good Social Science Paper” which details the appropriate format for this assignment. Papers which lack an identifiable thesis statement within the introduction, fail to integrate course readings effectively and/or rely on lecture slides will be penalized. Please keep in mind that while you can use current events material to supplement your discussion of course readings
