This book investigates the persistent paradox of the European Union's inability to secure democratic and constitutional legitimacy despite its extensive integration efforts. Peter L. Lindseth, a scholar of European law and governance, examines the historical and structural roots of this failure. By analyzing the evolution of administrative and constitutional frameworks, the author argues that the EU's governance model remains fundamentally disconnected from the traditional democratic mechanisms of its member states.

Experts in European law and political science frequently cite this work as a rigorous examination of the EU's institutional limitations. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational text for those studying the intersection of administrative law and democratic theory.