The Only Game in Town: How Does Democracy Work in Equilibrium?

Description

By a common metaphor, democracy is in equilibrium when it has become “the only game in town,” where all political actors know, accept, and follow its ground rules and know that everyone else is doing so as well. While the metaphor captures well the “basic democratic trust” that reigns in stable democracies, it also paints an idealized, unattainable picture of “democratic normality.” It suggests a wider ideological consensus, more direct access to knowledge, fewer normative controversies, and a greater weight of material self-interest than democratic politics can afford. These four simplifications or “illusions” distort the way democratic politics operates in the real world. To gain a more realistic idea of democratic equilibria, we need to correct them. Unless we understand the nature of democratic equilibria, we will be unable to understand the nature of democratic crises.

Period	19 Feb 2024
Event type	Seminar
Location	Budapest, HungaryShow on map