Postdemocracy and the End of History

Korvela Paul-Erik

Economic and Political Studies, 2013, vol. 1, issue 1, 136-155

Abstract: The article asserts that certain trends and developments are possibly threatening democracy in established democracies. Even though democracy might not face any external challengers, as an ideology it nevertheless faces threats endemic to itself. There are clearly detectable trends that possibly transform or have already transformed established democracies into postdemocracies, managed democracies or controlled democracies. Thus, democracy might be in fact superseded rather than deepened and perfected. The article scrutinizes the phenomenon of postdemocratization from three perspectives. First, it connects the phenonomenon with globalization and the associated contraction of the state which produces a possible legitimacy crisis of democracies. Secondly, the article discusses how the rise of governance networks and new ways of participation create a democratic deficit despite their opposite intention. Thirdly, the role of private corporations and their influence on the political system is discussed. The article concludes that as more and more political power is escaping from the political system, democracy transforms into postdemocracy.

Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1080/20954816.2013.11673875

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