DOCSLIB.ORG

Reviving Democracy in a Fragmented World Not Attractive Anymore Or Still a Success Story?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Reviving Democracy in a Fragmented World Not Attractive Anymore Or Still a Success Story? Reviving Democracy in a Fragmented World Not Attractive Anymore or Still a Success Story? Background Paper Background Paper Trilogue Salzburg 2018 | Page 1 Table of Contents Overview ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Taking Stock of Democracy – Still a Success Story or not Competitive Anymore? ............... 6 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 6 What Makes a Democracy ..................................................................................................... 8 1. Definition of Democracy .................................................................................................. 8 2. A Very Short History of Democracy ................................................................................ 8 3. Types of Democracy ..................................................................................................... 10 Erosive Forces that Threaten Democracy ............................................................................ 11 1. The World in Flux .......................................................................................................... 12 2. Corollary Challenges ..................................................................................................... 13 Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 14 References ........................................................................................................................... 16 Decoding the Writings on the Wall: Analyzing Democracy from a Historical Point of View .................................................................................................... 17 1989 - The Beginning of an Illusion ...................................................................................... 17 Revolutionary Situations of the Past .................................................................................... 17 Democracy: Varieties and Metamorphoses ......................................................................... 19 Pathologies of Democracy.................................................................................................... 21 1. The Pitfalls of Revolutionary Moments ......................................................................... 21 2. The Shortcomings of Democratic Leadership ............................................................... 21 3. Democratic Nations and Globalization .......................................................................... 22 4. The Challenges of Equality ........................................................................................... 23 Competent Democracies of the Past.................................................................................... 24 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 25 Policy Recommendations (Some of Them with Respect to the EU) ................................... 26 References ........................................................................................................................... 28 The Square People – Politics of Protests ................................................................................... 29 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 29 The Effect of Protest Politics ................................................................................................ 32 Reasons for Hope ................................................................................................................. 36 References ........................................................................................................................... 37 Page 2 | Trilogue Salzburg 2018 Background Paper Democracy – Its Substance and Meaning: Can One Size fit All? ............................................ 38 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 38 Governance and Government .............................................................................................. 39 The Rise of the New Paradigm ............................................................................................ 42 Liberal Democracy ................................................................................................................ 45 The Weakening of the Appeal of Liberal Democracy ........................................................... 47 Structural Effects .................................................................................................................. 53 Addressing the Challenge – What can we do? .................................................................... 55 References ........................................................................................................................... 59 The Erosion of Democracy in Developing and Transition Countries ...................................... 60 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 60 The Investigative Framework of the Bertelsmann Transformation Index ............................ 60 Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 63 1. Political Transformation Trends .................................................................................... 63 2. Antidemocratic Positions ............................................................................................... 69 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 76 References ........................................................................................................................... 79 Democracy, an Economic Review – Open Market Economies Under Pressure .................... 81 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 81 1. Core Elements of an Open Market Economy ............................................................... 81 2. Interim Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 84 Economic Superiority of Open Market Economies .............................................................. 84 1. The Historical Example of Korea .................................................................................. 84 2. Key Socio-Economic Indicators .................................................................................... 85 3. Global Migration: Voting with their Feet ........................................................................ 88 Criticism of Economic Development in Western Industrialized Nations .............................. 88 1. Globalization and Worldwide Wage Convergence ....................................................... 89 2. Labor-Saving Technological Progress and Global Wage Convergence ...................... 89 3. Empirical Evidence of the Impact Globalization and Technological Progress on the Labor Market ...................................................................................................... 90 4. Populist Response by Autocrats ................................................................................... 92 5. Economic Policy Implications ........................................................................................ 94 6. The EU’s Options for Taking Action .............................................................................. 94 References ........................................................................................................................... 96 Background Paper Trilogue Salzburg 2018 | Page 3 Arts and Culture: Keeping Democracy Alive or Entertainment for the Establishment? ....... 98 Preliminary Remarks ............................................................................................................ 98 The Influence of Art and Culture on Democratic Political Systems ..................................... 99 1. The Artists ..................................................................................................................... 99 2. Cultural Politics and Cultural Education ...................................................................... 104 3. The Recipients ............................................................................................................ 106 4. Culturalization of the Social Realm: Transformation of the Global Sound in the Late Modern Eera .............................................................................................. 108 Current Aspects of the Crisis of Democracy ...................................................................... 109 1. Crisis of Legitimacy, Trust, Representation ................................................................ 109 2. Identity Politics and Social Democracy ....................................................................... 110 3. Cultural and Political Education Generate Transnational Democratic Momentum .... 112 4. Cultural
Load more

Recommended publications
  • CRITICAL THEORY and AUTHORITARIAN POPULISM Critical Theory and Authoritarian Populism
    CDSMS EDITED BY JEREMIAH MORELOCK CRITICAL THEORY AND AUTHORITARIAN POPULISM Critical Theory and Authoritarian Populism edited by Jeremiah Morelock Critical, Digital and Social Media Studies Series Editor: Christian Fuchs The peer-reviewed book series edited by Christian Fuchs publishes books that critically study the role of the internet and digital and social media in society. Titles analyse how power structures, digital capitalism, ideology and social struggles shape and are shaped by digital and social media. They use and develop critical theory discussing the political relevance and implications of studied topics. The series is a theoretical forum for in- ternet and social media research for books using methods and theories that challenge digital positivism; it also seeks to explore digital media ethics grounded in critical social theories and philosophy. Editorial Board Thomas Allmer, Mark Andrejevic, Miriyam Aouragh, Charles Brown, Eran Fisher, Peter Goodwin, Jonathan Hardy, Kylie Jarrett, Anastasia Kavada, Maria Michalis, Stefania Milan, Vincent Mosco, Jack Qiu, Jernej Amon Prodnik, Marisol Sandoval, Se- bastian Sevignani, Pieter Verdegem Published Critical Theory of Communication: New Readings of Lukács, Adorno, Marcuse, Honneth and Habermas in the Age of the Internet Christian Fuchs https://doi.org/10.16997/book1 Knowledge in the Age of Digital Capitalism: An Introduction to Cognitive Materialism Mariano Zukerfeld https://doi.org/10.16997/book3 Politicizing Digital Space: Theory, the Internet, and Renewing Democracy Trevor Garrison Smith https://doi.org/10.16997/book5 Capital, State, Empire: The New American Way of Digital Warfare Scott Timcke https://doi.org/10.16997/book6 The Spectacle 2.0: Reading Debord in the Context of Digital Capitalism Edited by Marco Briziarelli and Emiliana Armano https://doi.org/10.16997/book11 The Big Data Agenda: Data Ethics and Critical Data Studies Annika Richterich https://doi.org/10.16997/book14 Social Capital Online: Alienation and Accumulation Kane X.
    [Show full text]
  • Policy Department External Policies CITIZENS in DANGER HUMAN
    BRIEFING PAPER Policy Department External Policies CITIZENS IN DANGER HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOM IN PUTIN’S RUSSIA HUMAN RIGHTS February 2008 JANUARY 2004 EN This briefing paper was requested by the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights. This study is published in the following languages: EN, FR (OR), RU Author: Marie Mendras, researcher Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris Administrator: Andrea Subhan Directorate-General for External Policies Policy Department BD4 06 M 071 rue Wiertz, 60 B-1047 Brussels Manuscript completed in February 2008. This study is available on the Internet at http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/committees/studies.do?language=FR Brussels: European Parliament, 2008. The opinions expressed in this document are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Parliament. ©European Communities, 2008 Marie Mendras is a researcher at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Russia expert at the Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches Internationales (CERI). She teaches at Sciences Po University in Paris. She runs the Observatoire de la Russie at CERI and in particular has published Comment fonctionne la Russie ? Le politique, le bureaucrate et l’oligarque, Autrement, 2003, and La Russie de Poutine, Pouvoirs, Le Seuil, 2005. Her publications in English include: Russia and Europe. The Challenge of Proximity, Europa Institut Zürich, Schulthess, 2004, ‘Back to the Besieged Fortress?’ in Putin’s Empire, Stefan Batory Foundation, Warsaw, 2007, ‘Authority and Identity in Russia’ in Katlijn Malfliet, ed., Elusive Russia, Leuven, 2007. Marie Mendras studied at Essex University, Sciences Po Paris, Institut des Langues et Civilisations Orientales, Johns Hopkins University Bologna Center, and Harvard University.
    [Show full text]
  • Unpopular Policies and the Theory of Representative Democracy Pierre Salmon
    Unpopular policies and the theory of representative democracy Pierre Salmon To cite this version: Pierre Salmon. Unpopular policies and the theory of representative democracy. [Research Report] Laboratoire d’analyse et de techniques économiques(LATEC). 1991, 25 p., ref. bib. : 2 p. hal- 01526994 HAL Id: hal-01526994 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01526994 Submitted on 23 May 2017 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. LABORATOIRE D'ANALYSE ET DE TECHNIQUES ÉCONOMIQUES UMR 5601 CNRS DOCUMENT DE TRAVAIL �I CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE I SCIENTIFIQUE '1 UNIVERSITE DE BOURGOGNE Pôle d'Economie et de Gestion 2, boulevard Gabriel - 21000 DIJON - Tél. 03 80 3954 30 - Fax 03 80 39 54 43 ISSN : 1260-8556 9102 UNPOPULAR POLICIES AND THE THEORY OF REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY Pierre SALMON* May 1991 Université de Bourgogne * I am grateful to the participants of the Fourth Villa Colombella Seminar, especially Ron Wintrobe, to Alain Wolfelsperger and to an anonymous referee for their helpful comments. The errors and shortcomings that remain are solely my responsability. INTRODUCTION: IS MOB RULE OUR IDEAL OF REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY? Their platforms reflect concern with enhancing the probability of being elected, but some candidates often, or all candidates occasionally, voluntarily adept stances that reduce that probability.
    [Show full text]
  • Russia's Soft Power Ambitions
    No. 115 y October 2006 he European Union thinks of Russia’s Soft Power Ambitions itself as a ‘soft power’, which is Tdefined by Joseph Nye as the Nicu Popescu “ability to get what you want through attraction rather than through coercion” redressed both inside as well as outside distinct from what the West understands and which can “be cultivated through Russia. as democracy. Thus, Russia’s relations with allies, economic democracy should not necessarily assistance, and cultural exchanges.”1 The first front for Russia’s new soft correspond to Western standards of Few would think that Russia has ‘soft power ambition is domestic. Putin’s democracy. As Sergei Ivanov, Russia’s power’ ambitions, but the truth is that administration, represented by its defence minister puts it, “if there is Russia has started to invest in the deputy chief Vladislav Surkov, has been western democracy, there should be an infrastructure of a soft power. working on the development of eastern democracy as well”.7 ‘sovereign democracy’5 as a concept The moment of truth for Russia came that should be the backbone of Russia’s On paper, the ideology of ‘sovereign with the ‘Orange Revolution’ in ‘national idea’. It is not easy to grasp democracy’ is presented as if it were not Ukraine, when the power of ideas was what ‘sovereign democracy’ means that different from what is understood revealed by events. Konstantin exactly. The concept is deliberately in the West by democracy. But the Kosachev, Chairman of the foreign vague, and the debate still ongoing.6 reality is different.
    [Show full text]
  • Religion, State and 'Sovereign Democracy' in Putin's Russia
    Religion, state and ‘sovereign democracy’ in Putin’s Russia John Anderson School of International Relations University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland KY16 8EB (01334 462931; [email protected]) John Anderson is Professor of International Relations at the University of St Andrews. He has published widely on religion and politics in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet states, on religion and democratisation, on Christianity and politics in Russia, Europe and the USA, and on the politics of Central Asia. His most recent book is Conservative Christian Politics in Russia and the United States (Manchester University Press, 2015). 1 Abstract This article explores the role of the dominant Russian Orthodox Church in the evolution of the post-communist Russian Federation. This is not a classic case where religion may have contributed to the democratisation of society because this has not been a primary goal of political elites, and the regime that has emerged might best be described as ‘hybrid’ with growing authoritarian tendencies. Having played little role in the ending of communism, having little historical experience of working within a democracy, suspicious of liberal- individualist visions of public life and committed to a vision of its role as the hegemonic religious institution, the promotion of democratic governance has not been a priority of church leaders. At the same time the political structures created by the Kremlin encourage a degree of conformity and support for the regime by key social actors, and in the wake of the political crisis of 2011-12 there have been further incentives for church and state to work more closely together.
    [Show full text]
  • Trilogue Salzburg 2018 Background Paper
    Page 60 | Trilogue Salzburg 2018 Background Paper The Erosion of Democracy in Developing and Transition Countries Hauke Hartmann Introduction Political transformation as measured by the BTI 2018 has, on average, reached a new low around the globe. In more and more countries, rulers are strategically undermining control mechanisms in order to secure power and maintain patronage systems and opportunities for self-enrichment. At the same time, protests are growing against social inequality, mismanagement and corruption. As normative transformation goals, democracy and the market economy have never been so contested – or so threatened by degradation from within. Clearly, if democratic systems do not offer a robust framework for ensuring rule of law and opportunities for political participation, and if market-based economies do not guarantee fair and reliable rules of competition and social inclusion, then not only will they lose their appeal, they will devolve into illiberal, patronage-driven structures. Against this background, populistic and authoritarian criticisms of democratic processes, institutions and ultimately norms will gain credibility. The following text starts out by introducing the most important investigative parameters used to assess the political status and quality of democracy in 129 developing and transformation countries (excluding Western nations that were already members of the OECD in 1989). On this basis, the erosion of democracy worldwide is analyzed and the question addressed in what sense this development represents a global “retreat of democracy.” The prevailing antidemocratic positions are then depicted and discussed. In conclusion, suggestions are made as to how the European Union, as one of the main democratic actors on the international stage, can counteract the erosion in the quality of democracy and promote a liberal order and democratization.
    [Show full text]
  • E-Participation: a Quick Overview of Recent Qualitative Trends
    DESA Working Paper No. 163 ST/ESA/2020/DWP/163 JANUARY 2020 E-participation: a quick overview of recent qualitative trends Author: David Le Blanc ABSTRACT This paper briefly takes stock of two decades of e-participation initiatives based on a limited review of the academic literature. The purpose of the paper is to complement the results of the e-government Survey 2020. As such, the emphasis is on aspects that the e-government survey (based on analysis of e-government portals and on quantitative indicators) does not capture directly. Among those are the challenges faced by e-participation initiatives and key areas of attention for governments. The paper maps the field of e-par- ticipation and related activities, as well as its relationships with other governance concepts. Areas of recent development in terms of e-participation applications are briefly reviewed. The paper selectively highlights conclusions from the literature on different participation tools, as well as a list of key problematic areas for policy makers. The paper concludes that while e-participation platforms using new technologies have spread rapidly in developed countries in the first decade of the 2000s and in developing countries during the last 10 years, it is not clear that their multiplication has translated into broader or deeper citizen participation. Be- yond reasons related to technology access and digital skills, factors such as lack of understanding of citizens’ motivations to participate and the reluctance of public institutions to genuinely share agenda setting and decision-making power seem to play an important role in the observed limited progress.
    [Show full text]
  • Research Papers
    RESEARCH PAPERS FACTORS AFFECTING PARTICIPATION OF PRESERVICE TEACHERS IN E-DEMOCRACY By SERKAN ŞENDAĞ * SACIP TOKER ** * Associate Professor, Computer Education and Instructional Technology, School of Education, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey. ** Ph.D holder, Instructional Technology, Department of Administrative and Organizational Studies, College of Education, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA. ABSTRACT This study aimed to reveal the factors associated with the participation of preservice teachers in e-democracy. It was designed as a correlational study and 1,519 preservice teachers from a teacher preparation program in Turkey participated in it by completing a 54-item questionnaire. As a result, three major factors for involvement in e-democracy emerged: knowledge and environment, ethics, and anxiety. In addition, two types of participation were revealed: anonymous and onymous. The results of the study showed that anonymous participation correlates positively with Political Knowledge, and negatively with Current State of Politics and Digital Integrity. Those who have mobile technologies with internet connection are more likely to participate anonymously in e-democracy. On the other hand, Onymous participation, correlates positively with Fear of Self-expression, and negatively with Political Knowledge and Digital Citizenship. Males were shown to be more prone to both types of participation than females. Internet usage frequency was a common variable triggering both types of participation. The paper ends with recommendations for further research. Keywords: E-Democracy, E-Participation, Preservice Teachers, Explanatory Higher-Order Factor Analysis, Multiple and Quantile Regression. INTRODUCTION be supported by the Internet, which will alter representation Now-a-days, several factors are urging higher education as well as politicians’ attitudes toward the public (Cardoso, institutions to change, such as internalization, massification, Cunha & Nascimento, 2006).
    [Show full text]
  • Types of Democracy the Democratic Form of Government Is An
    Types of Democracy The democratic form of government is an institutional configuration that allows for popular participation through the electoral process. According to political scientist Robert Dahl, the democratic ideal is based on two principles: political participation and political contestation. Political participation requires that all the people who are eligible to vote can vote. Elections must be free, fair, and competitive. Once the votes have been cast and the winner announced, power must be peacefully transferred from one individual to another. These criteria are to be replicated on a local, state, and national level. A more robust conceptualization of democracy emphasizes what Dahl refers to as political contestation. Contestation refers to the ability of people to express their discontent through freedom of the speech and press. People should have the ability to meet and discuss their views on political issues without fear of persecution from the state. Democratic regimes that guarantee both electoral freedoms and civil rights are referred to as liberal democracies. In the subfield of Comparative Politics, there is a rich body of literature dealing specifically with the intricacies of the democratic form of government. These scholarly works draw distinctions between democratic regimes based on representative government, the institutional balance of power, and the electoral procedure. There are many shades of democracy, each of which has its own benefits and disadvantages. Types of Democracy The broadest differentiation that scholars make between democracies is based on the nature of representative government. There are two categories: direct democracy and representative democracy. We can identify examples of both in the world today.
    [Show full text]
  • Fredrik Engelstad, Cathrine Holst, Gunnar C. Aakvaag (Eds.) Democratic State and Democratic Society
    Fredrik Engelstad, Cathrine Holst, Gunnar C. Aakvaag (Eds.) Democratic State and Democratic Society. Institutional Change in the Nordic Model Fredrik Engelstad, Cathrine Holst, Gunnar C. Aakvaag (Eds.) Democratic State and Democratic Society Institutional Change in the Nordic Model Managing Editor: Dominika Polkowska Language Editor: Adam Leverton ISBN 978-3-11-063407-5 e-ISBN 978-3-11-063408-2 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License. For details go to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/. © 2018 Fredrik Engelstad, Cathrine Holst, Gunnar C. Aakvaag Published by De Gruyter Poland Ltd, Warsaw/Berlin Part of Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston The book is published with open access at www.degruyter.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for at the Library of Congress. Managing Editor: Dominika Polkowska Language Editor: Adam Leverton www.degruyter.com Cover illustration: egal / @thinkstock Contents Preface XIII Fredrik Engelstad, Cathrine Holst, Gunnar C. Aakvaag 1 Introduction: Democracy, Institutional Compatibility and Change 1 1.1 What Can a Democratic Society Be Like? 2 1.2 Alternative Views 3 1.3 Broadening Focus on Democracy 5 1.4 Institutions in Modern Societies 8 1.5 Institutions in Change 11 1.6 Aspects of the Nordic Model 13 1.7 A Brief Note on Methods 14 1.8 Challenges to Democracy in the Nordic Model 14 References 18 Fredrik Engelstad 2 Social Institutions and the Quality of Democracy 22 2.1 The Salience of Normative Theory 24 2.2 From Political Philosophy to Sociological Analysis 27 2.3 An Old Story: Democratizing the Economy 29 2.4 Normative Preconditions of the Modern Economy 30 2.5 Democratic Norms in the Economy 32 2.6 Welfare State Institutions in Democracy 33 2.7 Democracy in the Media Institution 37 2.8 Generalizing Institutional Norms and Conflicts 41 2.9 A Brief Conclusion 43 References 44 Gunnar C.
    [Show full text]
  • Preventing Mob Rule
    In a democracy, the people rule. This means that if a majority of HANDOUT: the public demands a law or public policy, elected leaders have an obligation to seriously consider that demand. However, sometimes the majority demands a law or public policy Preventing that could trample the rights of minorities. The phenomena of the majority wanting to trample the rights of a minority is also known as Mob Rule: ochlocracy, or mob rule. Passing a Law To keep ochlocracy at bay, liberal democracies spread power amongst several institutions. The separate powers of the Senate, the House of Commons, and even the Queen illustrate how the power to create and enact laws is spread amongst different institutions in Canada. Each institution can act as a check on the power of the others. By having power spread across institutions, the law-creation process can be more reasoned and less mob-like. There are more opportunities to consider positions, consult experts, and ask questions. This helps temper emotions, protect minority rights, and promote reason when creating laws. The Path to Creating a Law In Canada, the federal government cannot simply declare a law, without a debate and without that law being subjected to reviews and consideration. The rule of law requires that there are open and established processes to guide the creation of laws. The process below outlines the steps to creating most federal laws in Canada. The process for creating laws at the provincial level is similar, except that there is no Senate review of provincial laws. Three Readings When a proposed law—also known as a bill—is first introduced in the House of Commons, it must pass a series of three votes.
    [Show full text]
  • Spooked by the Demos: Aristotle's Conception of the Good Citizenry
    Problematique Issue 11 (Spring) 2007 Bell: Spooked by the Demos Spooked by the Demos: Aristotle’s Conception of the Good Citizenry Against the Mob Colleen Bell This article addresses two aspects of Aristotle’s The Politics.1 The first concerns his conception of the good citizenry and the second concerns the character that he attributes to a politically active demos. At times, Aristotle refers to this latter category as the ‘mob’ which serves as the citizenry’s disruptive counterpart.2 I explore how the ideas of rationality, virtue and excellence are used to characterize the good citizenry, while the mob, driven by passion, moral depravity and irrationality, is represented as its alterity. The relationship between the good citizenry and the mob, I argue, is critical to the image that Aristotle casts of the best possible constitution; one designed to be largely invulnerable to revolution and to the formation of an active, democratic polity. His awareness of the potential for the demos to transform into a form of ‘mob rule’ leads him to compromise the ideal constitution, composed of a wholly ‘rational’ and ‘virtuous’ citizenry, by extending citizenship rights to a limited and select portion of the demos in order to minimize the likelihood of mob driven revolution. Aristotle provides the classical account of the citizen as one who has both the knowledge, and the ability to rule and be ruled. 3 Key is the idea that while ‘man’ is distinguished by reason, not all ‘men’ posses sufficient reason to warrant citizenship. 4 In holding that not all of humanity has the capacity to rule, essential to his conception of the good citizen is the willful exclusion of women, slaves, immigrants, and children from both political subjectivity and participation.
    [Show full text]