Clarifying and Defining the Concept of Liquid Democracy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6223262 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Chiara Valsangiacomo (0000-0001-7675-4974, University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 61-80 |
| Publication date | 2022-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Swiss Political Science Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1424-7755 • E-ISSN: 1662-6370 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/spsr.12486 |
| OpenAlex | W3209998721 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 28 |
Liquid Democracy (LD) is a recent phenomenon that could radically affect our understanding of democracy. Yet, there remains significant semantic confusion surrounding this concept, and researchers in the social sciences, as well as in political theory, currently lack a general definition that is broadly accepted as a standard reference. Therefore, this article addresses the following question: What is LD and how can we best define it? Following a classical, semantic approach to concept formation in the tradition of Giovanni Sartori and John Gerring, the article advances a new, minimal definition: LD is a decision‐making scheme characterized by liquidity—that is the systemic and flexible mix of direct and representative democracy—and essentially based on the principles of voluntary delegation and proxy voting. This definition can serve as a starting point from which further theoretical and normative studies of LD could be conducted in the future
Confusion · Democracy · Direct democracy · Economics · Epistemology · Normative · Phenomenon · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Proxy (statistics) · Sociology · Statistics · Voting · Critical Theory and Philosophy · Law · Mathematics · Philosophy · Political Philosophy and Ethics · Psychology · Weber, Simmel, Sociological Theory
The Methodology of Political Theory
Social Science Methodology
Open Democracy
Social science concepts
Political Representation in Liquid Democracy
Direct voting and proxy voting
Liquid Democracy
Voting by proxy
A program for direct and proxy voting in the legislative process
What Makes a Concept Good? A Criterial Framework for Understanding Concept Formation in the Social Sciences
Putting Ordinary Language to Work
Plural voting and political equality
Mere Description
Social Science Concepts
Concept Misformation in Comparative Politics
Reorganization of State Government in Oregon
| Citations per year | 2.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2026 (3) |
| Highly cited | No |