ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the usefulness of comparing Canada and the European Union (EU), and for this purpose the chapter is divided into two parts. In the first part a number of reasons are sketched as to whysuch a comparison is warranted by contrasting the two with the United States (US). In the second part the question of how we might compare Canada and the European Union is discussed. The US has had an agreed-upon constitution for a long time, and this constitution enjoys a great measure of legitimacy. The question of who are the ultimate sources of legitimacy remains contested in the EU and in Canada. The Convention on the Future of Europe was set up to serve as a preparatory body for treaty change. An individualizing strategy is intended to "contrast specific instances of a given phenomenon as a means of grasping the peculiarities of each case".
