Finding a fundamental principle of democratic inclusion

Related, not affected or subjected

Bibliographic Data

ID21335652
AuthorsAndreas Bengtson (0000-0001-9224-8756, University of Groningen, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume69
Issue2
Pages179-198
Publication date2026-02-07
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInquiry (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0020-174X • E-ISSN: 1502-3923
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/0020174x.2022.2111603
OpenAlexW4293298664
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited35

The question of who should be included in democratic decision-making is known as the boundary problem in democratic theory. I identify two requirements that a satisfactory solution to the boundary problem must satisfy, i.e. the Considered Judgment Requirement and the Value Requirement. I argue that the two most prominent solutions to the boundary problem—the all-affected principle and the all-subjected principle—fail to satisfy these requirements. Instead, I propose an equal relations principle and show that it satisfies the requirements. It turns out that relatedness, and not affectedness or subjectedness, is what fundamentally explains who should be included

Boundary (topology) · Boundary value problem · Democracy · Inclusion (mineral) · Mathematical analysis · Mathematical economics · Political science · Statistics · Value (mathematics) · Free Will and Agency · Law · Mathematics · Philosophical Ethics and Theory · Political Philosophy and Ethics · Psychology · Social Psychology

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