Wolfgang Merkel (WZB) 'Crisis of democracy?' 31 March 2015
Channel: Electoral Integrity Project
Date: 2015-03-31

This article addresses the question of whether a 'crisis of democracy' is an invention of theoretically complex but empirically-ignorant theorists who adhere to an excessively unrealistic normative ideal of democracy. Evidence is considered at three levels:  (i) quality of democracy indices developed by experts; (ii) survey reports of the opinion of the demos; (iii) a deeper analyses of crucial spheres of democracy. The results point in different directions. According to expert indices and polls, the message is: there is no crisis of democracy. Yet evidence about participation, representation, and the effective power to govern reveal unresolved democratic challenges, such as the exclusion of the lower third of the demos from participation, an inferior representation of their interests, and a loss of national democratic sovereignty in policy-making.


Discussant: Professor John Keane

-----
The Electoral Integrity Project is an independent research team based at the University of Sydney and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. It explores many issues, focusing upon three main questions: 

- When do elections meet international standards of electoral integrity? 
- What happens when elections fail to do so? 
- And what can be done to mitigate these problems? 

For more information see: www.electoralintegrityproject.com