> Even in the US, the much-vaunted example, Supreme Court judges and the Federal Reserve chairman are appointed, not elected. And this causes much strife and c

> Even in the US, the much-vaunted example, Supreme Court judges and the Federal Reserve chairman are appointed, not elected. And this causes much strife and conflict. > And are you really suggesting that people in the UK and in the rest of the world really do elect their judges, treasury officers, and accountants? What I am suggesting is that democracy is a release. As a citizen of the EU, you end up voting for a tiny fraction of those in power. Tiny. Even if I accept your fraction of 3/7 ... keep in mind that out of those for the UK, you get to elect 10% at best of those institutions. 3/7 * 10% = 4% That's a tiny number. And because the presidency rotates, 90% of the time the figurehead is someone you didn't even have a chance to vote for or against. That's a horrible feeling. That feeling is amplified if things are happening that you don't like. You blame that lack of control. Even if you lose the election, at least you had a voice. In the US, everyone has a chance to vote for or against the president, 100% of the time. Contrary to popular opinion, the presidency in the US is extremely limited and he can be overruled by the legislature or the supreme court at any time. And of course, in the legislature, any one citizen can only vote for a tiny fraction ... but because every citizen votes for the president, they feel they have some semblance of control over the system. If the desire is to turn the EU into a federal system like the US, then you need EU-wide elections where every citizen has the same set of choices. That will make them feel like they have a stake in the government. It would be a release. At that point the conversation would change from do I leave or do I stay, to how do I empower the guy I voted for.