European integration and member state parliament participation in European Union decision-making: European Affairs committees in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom

As the process of European integration continues, decision-making power has become increasingly centralized in the hands of appointed elites who serve on EU bodies. Not only has the traditional role of the nation-state as sole decision-maker been challenged, but it is also not evident that representatives of those EU bodies speak for member state populations, nor is it clear how those representatives are to be held accountable for decisions they make during EU negotiations. In this dissertation, I examine the link between member states and EU decision-making. In particular, I consider how and why legislators of the fifteen member states are involved in shaping EU decision-making to differing degrees by focusing on the role played by members of European Affairs Committees in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK. I present data that indicates both the type of government within a country and the degree of divisions among parties over integration are related to EAC strength and, thus, to legislator input on EU proposals. I also offer evidence that indicates levels of public support for integration are not clearly related to the degree of legislator input in each country. In sum, I show that criticisms leveled at the EU concerning its democratic deficit are valid, and I demonstrate that member states and actors within those states are connected to EU processes to greatly varying degrees.