Richard Rose
Using hands-on methods to diagnose the democratic body politic can identify parts that consistently function as they should and which intermittently don’t work, writes Richard Rose. This knowledge can lead to more effective remedies for intermittent ailments. It also guards against predicting the death of democracy from chronic disabilities that can be managed Read more
Patricia Roberts-Miller
Responding to Jean-Paul Gagnon’s blog on the science of democracy, Patricia Roberts-Miller recalls 'Thucydides' trap' to explain the dangers of forcing one meaning of democracy over others, as happened during the Athenian Empire. Silencing other democracies harms people through wars overseas and suppression at home. And it can, in turn, ruin those very democracies that are doing the silencing Read more
Marcin Kaim
The merit of Jean-Paul Gagnon’s project is that it calls attention to the friction between singular and plural conception of democracy. While this is a well-known topic in democratic theory, it does not remain central. However, writes Marcin Kaim, a lexicon, and therefore a 'total texture' of democracy, could bring about a change Read more
Stefan Müller
Several studies have suggested that 'irrelevant events' outside politicians’ control, like sports results or lotteries, affect voting behaviour. Such findings raise worrying questions for democracy. Yet, write Stefan Müller and Liam Kneafsey, these concerns may be overstated. In Ireland, a country with a strong sporting tradition, match outcomes do not influence citizens’ assessments of government performance, or voting behaviour Read more
Dannica Fleuß
Building a ‘dictionary of democracies’, as Jean-Paul Gagnon proposes, will not render a revolution of democratic theory. Yet the data mountain may be a valuable point of departure for a 'decentred' understanding of democracy and, in consequence, for several theoretical, empirical, and political innovations, writes Dannica Fleuß Read more
Hager Ali
Over recent weeks, Western pundits have been quick to claim recent events in Tunisia are evidence of a ‘failed democracy experiment’. But Hager Ali and Ameni Mehrez argue that the protests are more a testament to democratic resilience than failure Read more
Markus Pausch
Collecting the words of democracy like butterflies is a worthwhile endeavour. But it doesn't work without normative valuation and a democratic context. The butterflies are not only around us, but in us! And they need an intact environment to survive, writes Markus Pausch Read more
