TY - JOUR

T1 - Introduction: Perspectives on Democracy

AU - Müller-Rommel, Ferdinand

AU - Geißel, Brigitte

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020, The Author(s).

PY - 2020/6/1

Y1 - 2020/6/1

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - Politics

KW - Democratic theory

KW - Democratic innovation

KW - Participatory reforms

KW - New populism

KW - Social media

KW - Globalization

KW - Deliberation

KW - Direct democracy

KW - Participatory systems

KW - Demokratietheorie

KW - Demokratische Innovation

KW - Partizipatorische Reformen

KW - Neuer Populismus

KW - Soziale Medien

KW - Globalisierung

KW - Deliberation

KW - Direktdemokratie

KW - Partizipative Systeme

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85084793966&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s11615-020-00252-4

DO - 10.1007/s11615-020-00252-4

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 32412533

VL - 61

SP - 225

EP - 235

JO - Politische Vierteljahresschrift

JF - Politische Vierteljahresschrift

SN - 0032-3470

IS - 2

ER -