A compelling examination by a leading scholar of European politics of one of the most important dynamics of the post-Cold War world, this text outlines the successes and failures of European integration up to 1992 and analyzes the pitfalls that may lie ahead. Identifying a profound "democratic deficit" in the continental political system, George Ross shows how the European Commission, a powerful bureaucracy that does things for and to the peoples of the European Community largely behind their backs, serves as the EC's engine of progress rather than the much more democratic, but far weaker, European Parliament. Ross evaluates the prospects for further political and economic integration in light of this problem, in the face of opposition from some member countries, and in the wake of the revolutions of 1989. With plentiful background information on the structure, history, and function of the EC, this book will be a valuable resource for courses on European politics and international organizations.