How is the European Union governed, and how democratic are its institutions?
The European Union political system: the main institutions (Commission, Council, European Council, Parliament and Court of Justice), how EU law is made, the elected European Parliament, and the debate over the democratic deficit.
An SQA Higher Politics answer on the European Union political system, covering the Commission, the Council and European Council, the elected European Parliament and the Court of Justice, how EU law is made, and the debate over the EU's democratic deficit.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to describe how the European Union is governed, explain how EU law is made, and assess how democratic the system is. The EU is one of the two-from-five political systems candidates may study in depth. Questions ask you to describe an institution (the Commission, the Parliament), analyse its role, or evaluate the democratic deficit, so you need accurate institutional knowledge and a balanced judgement.
The answer
The main institutions
How EU law is made
This shared process means no single institution makes law alone, but the Commission's monopoly on proposing legislation gives an unelected body significant agenda-setting power.
The elected European Parliament
The democratic deficit debate
Examples in context
Because the Commission alone proposes EU legislation, an unelected body shapes the agenda before elected institutions vote, which is the core of the democratic deficit argument. The European Parliament's power to approve and dismiss the Commission, and to amend and block legislation, shows democratic accountability built into the system. Low turnout in European Parliament elections compared with national elections suggests citizens feel distant from EU politics, reinforcing the deficit case. These examples let a Higher answer evaluate how democratic the EU really is rather than just listing the institutions.
Try this
Q1. Describe the role of the European Commission. [4 marks]
- Cue. It proposes legislation, implements EU policy, manages the budget and acts as guardian of the treaties, with appointed members.
Q2. Explain two arguments that the EU suffers from a democratic deficit. [6 marks]
- Cue. The powerful Commission is unelected yet proposes all laws; the directly elected Parliament has more limited powers and suffers low turnout.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher 202120 marksEvaluate the view that the European Union suffers from a democratic deficit.Show worked answer →
A -mark essay: up to marks for knowledge and understanding and up to for analysis, evaluation and a sustained conclusion.
KU should set out the institutions and note that the powerful Commission is unelected while the directly elected Parliament has more limited powers, and that turnout in European elections is often low. Naming the institutions accurately strengthens KU.
Evaluation marks come from weighing the deficit (an unelected Commission, an indirectly legitimised Council) against the democratic features (an elected Parliament, ministers accountable to national parliaments), and judging how serious the deficit is. A sustained conclusion lifts the answer.
SQA Higher specimen12 marksAnalyse the role of the European Commission.Show worked answer →
A -mark analysis question, roughly half KU and half analysis. Markers reward developed explanation linked to the EU system.
KU should explain that the Commission proposes legislation, implements EU policy, manages the budget and acts as guardian of the treaties, and that its members are appointed rather than directly elected.
Analysis marks come from explaining why an unelected body holding the sole right to propose laws fuels the democratic deficit debate, and judging its overall role. A clear judgement lifts the answer.
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Sources & how we know this
- SQA Higher Politics Course Specification — SQA (2020)