Las Torres de Lucca. International Journal of Political Philosophy, No 0 (2012): January-June

Democracy today: investor's sovereignty or civic representation?

Lutz Wingert

Abstract


In many Western democracies, governments, courts and parties in Parliament operate in two opposite ways: (1) On the one hand, they behave cooperatively with powerful investors and associations. (2) On the other hand, they act through authoritarian decrees over citizens lacking such power. The emission of citizen voices thus becomes its remission. Civic representation is necessary for a real (true) democracy. This representation updates the voices of citizens and the ingredients of the common good. But, what specifically does this representation mean and what does it require?