Class 3 - The legitimacy crisis of democracy

Question 1

What is the Democratic Fatigue Syndrome (Van Reybrouck)?

Answer 1

• crisis of legitimacy
  People no longer feeling represented & engaged by the government
• crisis of efficiency
  People’s perception of gov. As being able to solve their problems

Question 2

Underlying assumptions of crisis of democracy

Answer 2

• once dem was not in crisis
• dem are by definition representative
• low levels of trust & interest are automatically bad
• people want but cannot be engaged in gov
• people know what democracy means
• people are able to assess the quality of a democracy
• people have moved away from politics

Question 3

The two sides of the ‘crisis of democracy’ - Easton

Answer 3

1. REGIME support
   - support for nation state
   - support for democracy
2. PROCESS support
   - input legitimacy
   - throughoutput legitimacy
   - output legitimacy

Question 4

Source & Dimensions of INPUT legitimacy

Answer 4

• source: openness of the political system to the needs of the people
• dimensions: inclusiveness, representativeness, accountability

Question 5

Source & Dimensions of THROUGHOUTPUT legitimacy

Answer 5

• source: procedures and mechanisms that link public preferences to political decisions in a fair way
• dimensions: legality, transparency, fairness

Question 6

Source & Dimensions of OUTPUT legitimacy

Answer 6

• source: responsiveness of the policies to the needs of the people
• dimensions: efficiency, effectiveness, economy, responsiveness

Question 7

In terms of REGIME support, trends in national pride? Satisfaction with democracy? Trust and approval of gov?

Answer 7

• differences between countries
• changes pos and neg on individual basis

Question 8

How does the data on regime support look like?

Answer 8

• nation-state: stable and high
• democracy as org form: increasing support

Gov legitimacy MIGHT have taken a hit, but REGIME legitimacy is as strong as ever.

Question 9

Why do we perceive a crisis of democracy?

Answer 9

1. Contemporary world features
   - cognitive mobilisation
   - political consumerism
   -social media and technology
   - politics, media, business: Bermuda triangle
2. Democratic contenders; discourse coming from
   - populists
   - technocrats
   - direct democrats
   - deliberative democrats

Question 10

What is the populist diagnosis?

Answer 10

issues with INPUT

Problem
- crisis of democratic linkage (disconnect between ‘the people’ and ‘the elites’)

Solutions
- better representation of ‘the populus’ and its needs
- strong leadership

Critiques
-ideological ambiguity
- populists are themselves elites
- who are ‘the people’?

Question 11

What is the technocrat diagnosis?

Answer 11

Issues with OUTPUT

Problem
- elites are prevented from making real decisions

Solutions
- good governance&raquo_space;>
-

Critiques
- populist backlash
- efficiency does not generate legitimacy
- moral trade-offs

Question 12

What is direct democrats diagnosis?

Answer 12

THROUGHOUTPUT

Problem:
- parliaments = hollowed-out arenas
- democratic trusteeship no longer works

Solution:
-neo-parliamentarianism
-anti-parliamentarianism

Critiques
- power to the people becomes power to the majority
- referendum design is v important

Question 13

What is deliberative democrats diagnosis? (Mainly look at elections)

Answer 13

THROUGHOUTPUT

Problems:
- electoral fundamentalism
- elections are fundamentally flawed

Solution
- sortition
- deliberation

Question 14

Conclusions on the crisis of democracy

Answer 14

• perception and discourse = crisis; data =/= crisis
• fluctuations over time and across countries
• is the idea of crisis strategically used by politicians, media etc?