Introduction: Perspectives on Democracy

Abstract

This article explores diverse views on both the current challenges and limits as well as the reforms and innovations of existing democracies at the beginning of the twenty-first century. First, it argues that socioeconomic inequality, new populism, new forms of communication, and globalization have stimulated a renewal of interest in analyzing the "frontiers of democracy." Democracies have reacted with different innovations and reforms in order to meet these challenges. The authors trace the phases of respective research from studies on singular, standalone instances to normative as well as empirical work on participatory (direct democratic and deliberative) systems. Finally, they advocate for combining the conceptual approach of defining democracy by the fulfillment of democratic values with rigorous empirical evaluation of the contributions (old and new) that institutions and procedures provide in order to fulfill these values and meet the mentioned challenges.

Consenting Participation? How Demands for Citizen Participation and Expert-Led Decision-Making Are Reconciled in Local Democracy

“…Furthermore, beyond the question of how participation is contributing to democratic legitimacy, in recent years, participatory innovations have been discussed considering how they could ‘democratize’ democracy and increase possibilities for collective will-formation and decision-making (Müller-Rommel and Geißel, 2020). While most approaches conceptualize participatory innovations and new participatory processes as a complement and enhancement to representative decision-making and not as a replacement, the implicit expectation often is that more involvement and more influence of citizens in participation equals more democracy.…”

“…The growing demand for individual autonomy and participation in decision-making is contrasted by increasing calls for expertocratic effectiveness to manage ever-expanding societal challenges (Blühdorn, 2019). Scholars seeking to disentangle the democratic ambivalence have therefore called for a combination of normative and empirical approaches (Müller-Rommel and Geißel, 2020), institutional and citizen-oriented perspectives (Mayne and Geißel, 2016) and a revision of established indicators for democratization (Blühdorn and Butzlaff, 2020). In this article, I address the difficult relationship between citizens’ demands for being included and the confidence they have (or lack) in expert-led planning through the lens of understandings and expectations that are attributed to citizen participation and examine how possible contradictions are dealt with in the context of local democracy.…”

Exploring The Social Factors Influencing Voting Behavior in 2019 National Assembly Elections in Gombe State, Nigeria

“…Voting behavior is one of the major determinants of the type of democratic election in a society (Obani & Odalonu 2019;Akhter & Sheikh 2014). Democracy espouses inclusiveness; equality; universal suffrage or the right and freedom of citizens to vote and be voted for; the right to freedom of expression in the affairs of the country or community which includes the right to vote and be voted for, thereby producing a government by the consent of the people through competitive free and fair periodic elections (Muller-Rommel & Geibel, 2020;Warren, 2017;Appadorai, 1975Appadorai, & 1979. Under a democratic dispensation, all votes are accorded the same weight and the principle of one man one vote holds sway (Dahl et al, 2003).…”

“…Therefore, the free verdict of the voters in the electoral process should be the benchmark for any system that lays claim to the practice of liberal democracy. Hence, democracy should be seen as the legitimate government of the people, freely chosen by the people and exists to serve the people because the people are the custodians of democracy (Muller-Rommel & Geibel, 2020;Dalton et al, 2007).…”