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The Problem of “Democratic Deficit” in the European Union
Kübra Dilek AZMAN

Abstract
This study tries to understand the causes and effects of the problem of democratic deficit in the European Union (EU). There is a multitude of reasons and solutions regarding the democratic deficit in the EU, which lead to complex interpretations. Generally, academic literature on the issue of democratic deficit in EU relies on two opposing arguments. The majority argument is that there is democratic deficit in the EU; the minority argument rejects this view it. This study falls within the majority argument. The majority argument draws on the two dimensions of the EU. First argument asserts (institutional) that the EU’s institutional design and structure is not democratic. Second argument (socio-psychological) claims that the EU is not capable of being a ‘real’ democracy in principle, since the structural and social prerequisites, on which democratic rule depends, are lacking at the European level.

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