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Organized Civil Society and Democratic Legitimacy in the European Union

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  • GREENWOOD, JUSTIN

Abstract

Structural limitations in models of representative democracy have enhanced the space for other mechanisms of legitimacy in the European Union, including participatory models in which organized civil society interests are significant players. To some observers, such actors are likely only to aggravate already problematic input legitimacy. A range of less hostile approaches also prevail, from a neutral standpoint through to those sharing the perspective of EU policy practice where such actors are seen as a complementary mechanism of democratic input. Whilst concerns about the impact of asymmetries of power between different types of organized civil society interests arise as potential issues in any democratic setting, a particularly vigorous neo-pluralist regime, in which EU institutions actively create and develop as well as empower citizen interest groups, effectively mitigates these asymmetries in an EU context, although it can give rise to paradoxical tensions of elitism.

Suggested Citation

  • Greenwood, Justin, 2007. "Organized Civil Society and Democratic Legitimacy in the European Union," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 37(2), pages 333-357, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:bjposi:v:37:y:2007:i:02:p:333-357_00
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Tanja Börzel, 2010. "European Governance: Negotiation and Competition in the Shadow of Hierarchy," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(2), pages 191-219, March.
    2. Andreas Dür, 2008. "Measuring Interest Group Influence in the EU," European Union Politics, , vol. 9(4), pages 559-576, December.
    3. repec:bla:jcmkts:v:48:y:2010:i::p:191-219 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Joost Berkhout & David Lowery, 2010. "The changing demography of the EU interest system since 1990," European Union Politics, , vol. 11(3), pages 447-461, September.
    5. Heidbreder, Eva G., . "Civil society participation in EU governance," Living Reviews in European Governance (LREG), Institute for European integration research (EIF).
    6. Thomas Bernauer & Steffen Mohrenberg & Vally Koubi, 2020. "Do citizens evaluate international cooperation based on information about procedural and outcome quality?," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 505-529, April.
    7. Vivien Schmidt, 2010. "Democracy and Legitimacy in the European Union Revisited - Input, Output and Throughput," KFG Working Papers p0021, Free University Berlin.
    8. Åse Gornitzka & Cathrine Holst, 2015. "The Expert-Executive Nexus in the EU: An Introduction," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 3(1), pages 1-12.
    9. Vincent Caby & Lise Frehen, 2021. "How to Produce and Measure Throughput Legitimacy? Lessons from a Systematic Literature Review," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(1), pages 226-236.
    10. Åse Gornitzka & Ulf Sverdrup, 2015. "Societal Inclusion in Expert Venues: Participation of Interest Groups and Business in the European Commission Expert Groups," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 3(1), pages 151-165.
    11. Nicolle Zeegers, 2016. "Civil Society Organizations’ Participation in the EU and Its Challenges for Democratic Representation," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(4), pages 27-39.
    12. Vivien A. Schmidt, 2009. "Re‐Envisioning the European Union: Identity, Democracy, Economy," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(s1), pages 17-42, September.
    13. Arndt Wonka & Frank R Baumgartner & Christine Mahoney & Joost Berkhout, 2010. "Measuring the size and scope of the EU interest group population," European Union Politics, , vol. 11(3), pages 463-476, September.
    14. María del Mar Alonso‐Almeida & Josep Llach & Frederic Marimon, 2014. "A Closer Look at the ‘Global Reporting Initiative’ Sustainability Reporting as a Tool to Implement Environmental and Social Policies: A Worldwide Sector Analysis," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 21(6), pages 318-335, November.
    15. Finke, Barbara, . "Civil society participation in EU governance," Living Reviews in European Governance (LREG), Institute for European integration research (EIF).
    16. Rosa Sanchez Salgado, 2014. "Rebalancing EU Interest Representation? Associative Democracy and EU Funding of Civil Society Organizations," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(2), pages 337-353, March.
    17. Acar Kutay, 2017. "How Does the European Commission Create a European Civil Society with Words? A Discourse Theoretical Inquiry," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(5), pages 1094-1109, September.
    18. repec:bla:jcmkts:v:47:y:2009:i::p:17-42 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Kotzian, Peter & Steffek, Jens, 2011. "Legitimacy and activities of civil society organizations," TranState Working Papers 156, University of Bremen, Collaborative Research Center 597: Transformations of the State.
    20. William Dinan, 2021. "Lobbying Transparency: The Limits of EU Monitory Democracy," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(1), pages 237-247.

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