For participatory democracy

Some notes

Bibliographic Data

ID12869573
AuthorsDonatella Della Porta (0000-0002-5239-8773, Scuola Normale Superiore, corresponding author)
Year2018
Volume18
Issue4
Pages603-616
Publication date2018-11-29
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Political Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1680-4333 • E-ISSN: 1682-0983
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1057/s41304-018-0198-z
OpenAlexW2903396694
LanguageEN
Citations received13
References cited41

The Great Recession that hit the world in 2008 functioned as a critical juncture, nurturing socioeconomic but also political transformations. Some of the political developments during the crisis have challenged civil, political and social rights, triggering a Great Regression. In the geographical areas that have been hardest hit by the financial crisis, particularly in the European periphery, waves of protest have, however, challenged the austerity policies adopted by national governments under heavy pressure from lending institutions including the European Central Bank, the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund. This has put democracy under stress, but also triggered at some capacity for innovation. While some have considered the multiple crises as proof that governments need more technical expertise, others have blamed an “econocracy” that has taken over political decisions while pretending they are not political. Siding with this second vision, I will suggest in these notes that what we need is more, rather than less participation in democracy. I develop my argument by summarising some recent reflections in the social sciences on the challenges that the financial crisis poses to democracy, and the ways to address those challenges

Argument (complex analysis · Austerity · Civil society · Comparative politics · Democracy · Development economics · Economic policy · Economics · European union · Financial crisis · Keynesian economics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Recession · Global Financial Regulation and Crises · Law · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies · Social Policy and Reform Studies

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