Helge K. Nylenna
Democracy as a basic structure in organisational life is a given in most Western NGOs. However, church doctrine challenges the Montesquieuan principle that the body of the people possess the supreme power. Still, with reference to the Norwegian case, Helge Nylenna argues that, like other NGOs, churches can be democratic Read more
Kate Hawkins
The Loop's thriving series thread on democratic theory has just published its 100th instalment. At this landmark juncture, Managing Editor Kate Hawkins looks back on the series' inception and development — and wonders where it might go in the future Read more
Patrick Nitzschner
In crisis. Regressing. Dying. Such unsettling assessments of democracy’s current state have sparked renewed interest in militant democracy – the justifiable repression of anti-democrats. Given the idea’s troubled history, Patrick Nitzscner welcomes attempts to place militant interventions on a securely democratic footing, but remains sceptical of their likely success Read more
Davide Vittori
Populist parties have gained significant electoral successes in recent years. But Davide Vittori shows that populism is not everywhere, even in public opinion. We are in danger of simplifying what populism is, and assuming that all anti-establishment phenomena are 'populist', when they are not Read more
Kathryn Hicks
Kathryn Hicks and Sharon Stanley argue that the contemporary moral panic around obesity emerges from and exacerbates neoliberal tendencies that diminish democratic institutions and imaginaries. Given historical associations between race, gender and fatness, the ostensibly neutral language of health deepens existing lines of democratic exclusion Read more
Scott R. Stroud
Bhimrao Ambedkar was many things, and is often known as a political activist and an anti-caste thinker. In addition, Scott R. Stroud positions Ambedkar as a theorist of democracy who extends the pragmatist tradition Read more
Anastasia Kavada
Anastasia Kavada's 'project democracy' grew out of the major protest movements of the 2010s. It centres around action, organisation and implementation, rather than deliberation or decision-making. Here, she argues that the project offers an understanding of democracy that goes beyond the familiar practices discussed in academic literature Read more
James Tully
James Tully, Keith Cherry, David Owen and Pablo Ouziel explain how different conceptions of democracy can be grouped into 'families of democracies'. Thrillingly, they show how different families can 'join hands' and work together to establish an ecosocial succession that benefits everyone Read more
