Deliberative Democracy: Bringing the System Back In

The current crisis of democracy today is a crisis in the steering capacities of political systems as conventional representative institutions are seen as increasingly unresponsive. This has engendered a crisis of legitimacy as governing processes that affect daily life are seen as increasingly out o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Democratic theory (Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)) N.Y.)), 2014-12, Vol.1 (2), p.85-94
Main Author: Jensen, Michael J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Burke, Kenneth
Citizens
Deliberative democracy
Democracy
Dryzek, John S
Easton, David
Forecasts and trends
Globalization
Political science
Politics
Rhetoric
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Summary:The current crisis of democracy today is a crisis in the steering capacities of political systems as conventional representative institutions are seen as increasingly unresponsive. This has engendered a crisis of legitimacy as governing processes that affect daily life are seen as increasingly out of reach for citizens who find themselves with little or no influence over government administration, and increasingly globalized flows of markets and communication that belie the control of sovereign borders. The return to deliberative democracy as a response to the crisis has turned toward systems thinking within deliberation. Although this literature has primarily retained its normative language, approaching the crisis of democracy in terms of its empirical steering capacities is necessary to connect deliberation with its democratic aspirations. In addition to the language of steering capacities, these elements include an empirically-grounded account of the operation of power and authority as well the role of rhetoric as central rather than operating in the shadow of deliberation.
ISSN:2332-8894
2332-8908
DOI:10.3167/dt.2014.010209