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We are on the way to post-democracy – but where are we today? This article discusses the post-democracy thesis against the background of recent social problems such as the Corona pandemic, the rise of right-wing populism and the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. On the one hand, these problems indicate that Western democracies have taken a further step towards post-democracy. On the other hand, democratic potentials, such as a strengthening civil society and supranational democratic institutions, were also revealed in dealing with these problems. The article argues that in order to counteract post-democratic tendencies, both formal and informal democratic elements need to be strengthened and that it is more necessary than ever to build "bridges" between the two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on confrontation between two concepts of democracy and limit the powers of those who claim the right to exercise the popular will. It mentions viability of liberal democracy which have been achieved in the state socialist societies, opportunities in the waves of populism and rules about transparency and the prevention of corruption. It also mentions populist challenge to liberal democracy is impatient with these intermediary institutions.

Rising inequality constitutes a threat to democracy. It is beyond the role of economic theory itself to encompass this, as damage done to democracy by capitalist behaviour may seem to be an externality for economic theory, but it threatens to internalize itself in important ways. The relationship between capitalism and democracy is delicate and complex, and the former faces problems if its own behaviour threatens the latter. This happens because economic wealth can be converted into political power, and vice versa, leading to a self-reinforcing spiral of increasing economic and political inequality. First, the formal equality of universal suffrage is compromised when there is gross inequality in informal political lobbying. Second, the diversity of points of power necessary to pluralism is weakened when a small number of wealthy interests have influence over a wide range of issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Events since I published my book Post-democracy in 2004 suggest that democracy continues to decline in effectiveness in those parts of the world where it has been most strongly established. The global financial crisis, the consequent euro crisis, the likely shape of a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership ( TTIP) and growing evidence of the political power of giant mass media corporations all suggest that the dominant forces in today's politics are not those of democratic will. Movements like Syriza in Greece possibly suggest a democratic reawakening, but that is too early to determine. Meanwhile, it is important also to be aware of democracy's limits, and to try to resolve the problem of post-democracy by extending its reach beyond its competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colin Crouch, who first diagnosed and described our 'post-democratic' malaise a decade ago, assesses the strength of recent democratic interventions in the previously closed-shop TTIP negotiations as a reaction to deepening crises of popular mistrust and political capture in European and western democratic national polities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoliberalism is not as popular as its opponents seem so much to fear; in democratic politics it nearly always hides behind other ideologies and policy types, as its essential message that we should pursue no goals that cannot be achieved through the market is intrinsically unattractive to the majority of people. Its power lies in the wealth of its key supporters, and in the difficulty of raising coordinated opposition to it among post-industrial populations that have little sense of their political interests. The main base for hope of change in this comes from the as yet unrealised potential of women's movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with Colin Crouch, Warwick Business School's Governance and Public Management Professor, is presented. When asked about the meaning of the term "post-democracy' and how it relates to diagnosis of liberal democratic institutional crisis, Crouch explained that post-democracy is a system in which all democratic institutions are functioning. However, Crouch further reported that creative energy of polity is moving beyond the reach of nation-state and towards capital and corporations.