World politics is increasingly described in terms of regime complexity – the proliferation of regulatory arrangements operating within the same policy domain. Although empirical work on this topic has burgeoned, normative work has lagged behind. This paper seeks to understand whether the scaffolding of regime complexity hinders or promotes deliberative democracy. This analysis is undertaken by applying the recent systemic turn in deliberative theory. Specifically, the notion of deliberative capacity is drawn upon to determine whether regime complexity provides space to develop inclusive, authentic and consequential deliberation. The paper contends that the interstices of complexity carve out opportunities for advancements in terms of all three criteria. To gain analytical traction, the regime complex of international intellectual property rights is examined, with a focus on the Development Agenda formed in the World Intellectual Property Organization. This paper provides a novel way to think about global democratization through a “deliberative systems” lens.
