Democratic Deficits

Abstract Democratic deficits occur when sites of public power – which impact people's lives – are not democratically controlled by those same people. Democratic deficits exist in many different contexts, including within nation‐states, regional governance arrangements, and international institutions. For the most part, democratic deficits exist because globalization has altered the ability of nation‐states to control what occurs within their own borders. The migration of power to regional and international organizations is then said to create democratic deficits. This entry will define democratic deficits, give some background on how and why they occur, and discuss potential remedies.