Question

What do you think about the democratic deficit? What is it? is it a problem?

Answer 1

Democratic deficit, an inadequate degree of participation in state institutions and processes as compared to a political government's theoretical ideal. Democratic deficit degree evaluations concentrate on the structural dimensions of democracy, embodied in the governance and decision-making processes. The notion of a democratic deficit therefore involves contradictions in the flow of power from the individual to government. As such it is closely related to the question of democratic legitimacy.

While any democratic structure could theoretically suffer from a democratic deficit, the term is most commonly used in the context of supranational institutions , especially the European Union ( EU). The most prominent critique of the EU's level of democracy applies to the dispossession of national institutions that are not adequately balanced at EU level. The EU framework has been especially criticized for an insufficient degree of parliamentary oversight over decision-making processes.

In US states, t policy only agrees with the majority half the time. Legislative professionalisation, term limits, and salience were found to be the main factors. Partisanship and interest groups have more influence on the political balance of incongruence than on its aggregate degree. Democracy were found to be over-responsive to ideology and faction, contributing to division of policies with respect to state electorates. The large disparities in voter turnout for various income classes during the American elections are also seen as a issue for the functioning of democracy.