Contesting and (re-)shaping democracy's meaning through venues of democratic diagnosis

Democracy's meaning and value are not only contested among scholars, but among citizens as well. Conceptions of what democracy is or should be, and preferences regarding democratic arrangements, are likely to vary, not only across time and political contexts, but also between the individuals and social groups composing democratic societies. If one takes this plurality of perspectives over democracy not as a problem but as an essential feature of democratic systems, the role of democratic theory is not to settle democracy's conceptual meaning. If democracy is essentially contested, I argue that democratic systems must institutionalize venues for the democratic confrontation of citizens' perspectives and preferences over democratic arrangements. In the end, citizens themselves should continuously (re-)shape the meaning and institutional architecture of their own democratic system through their participation within it. Accordingly, the role of democratic theory would rather be to suggest democratic venues for the collective contestation and (re-)construction of the democratic ideal and the contextual expectations regarding its institutional enactment. Ultimately, the meaning of democracy is not only a conceptual challenge, but also a political one. If the contestation and shaping of democracy's meaning is to be a democratic task devolved to citizens, I suggest that this could be done through venues of democratic diagnosis: that is the possibility for citizens to identify democratically the problems faced by their own democratic system. Indeed, not every democratic system is confronted with the same problems, and new problems constantly emerge. Moreover, what is problematic in a democratic context is as well dependent upon what citizens consider as problematic and in need of reform. Perspectives over what is problematic are likely to vary among citizens, which solutions to prioritize as well. Venues of democratic diagnosis have for purpose to enable a structured confrontation between citizens over their diverse conceptions and preferences regarding democracy. Democratic diagnosis tackles the challenge of democracy's contested meaning from a critical and reflexive perspective: by problematizing the current institutional architecture of their democratic systems, citizens can confront and collectively shape common understandings of what democracy is and should be for them.