The State of Democratic Theory in IR

Abstract

The heightened awareness of the interference between global norms and domestic institutions as well as grassroots claims for democratization have spurred a debate about the legitimacy of transnational governance. While legitimacy on the international level has been framed for a long time in either functional (efficiency/accountability) or normative (justice) terms, procedural understandings have gained more attention over the last decade. On this panel we want to trace the diffusion and dwell on the differentiated access to democratic theory within theories of International relations. The proliferation of those theories has triggered new concepts, which were previously considered irrelevant for debates about international politics, i.e. oppositional politics, parliamentarism, etc. Panelists will discuss whether and how theories designed with the nation-state in mind can be transformed to fit the postnational setting, marked by a heterarchic system of rule and an only marginally developed public sphere. Which kind of democratic theories have been picked up and for what reason? Do international organizations need their own political theory – or works an updated version just fine?

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