Debating a (potential) paradigm shift in democracy research

The Sciences of the Democracies (or SOTD) Research Network is a formal research body, with a membership of 77 (as of early November 2023), that is supported by the European Consortium of Political Research. The aim of the Network is to try to ease confusion about the term "democracy" and its cognate words in other languages. Therefore, research questions that seek to explain different types of democracy, that explain different concepts of democracy that do not use that sign or its root (e.g. manapori, faatemokalasi, ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ (brachathibtey), etc) are most welcome. Furthermore, the Network is also interested in better understanding how all concepts of "democracy" can be understood as a whole, and compared, across time, space, language, culture, and species or the "ethno-quantic domain". All methods are welcome. Pursuing such lines of inquiry could lead to a change in how we look at the world of political regimes (or the empirical forms of democracy in general). At the same time, however, it could also mean that intercultural comparisons might not be dominated by just one perspective (currently the Western one), but that the symbiosis of Western and non-Western meanings and understandings of "democracy" (Osterberg-Kaufmann et al. 2020) could give way to analytical concepts that offer different approaches for examining political reality. This could mean a change in the previous liberal paradigm of democracy, which, while questioning the hegemony of the liberal understanding of democracy, at the same time argues for a broadening and opening of the paradigm without wanting to negate the idea of liberal democracy whilst so doing. This section proposed to the 2024 ECPR General Conference hosted by the University College Dublin is given to explore these different approaches for studying democracy and, in the end, to debate if a paradigm shift really is afoot. Are we unmooring liberal democracy as the category for measuring democracy in the world by studying the many other variations available to us on the theme of "people’s self government"? Panels, Participants, Panel Types, and Short Abstracts: P1: Does a normal science of democracy research exist? The aim of this panel is to discuss possible key elements of the current paradigm in democracy research, its underlying concepts, theories and methods, and its causes, paths and consequences for studying democracy in the 21st century. P2: Questioning the Paradigm of Democracy The aim of this panel is to critically question current paradigms of democracy research and, if necessary, formulate new paradigms. P3: The Revolution to come? The aim of this panel is to explore two emancipatory projects taking place within democracy research, and democratic theory, today. They are "decentring" and "decolonizing" democracy. P4: Towards Inductive Universalism in Comparative Democracy Research The aim of this panel is to question how the conceptual diversity of democracy can be captured and how this data can be made fruitful for Comparative Democratic Research (CDR). P5: Studying meanings of democracy empirically on the macro level This panel aims to discuss various approaches used to study different meanings of democracy on the macro level, e.g. across democratic regimes at the level of the nation state, sub-national polities, and supranational orders. P6: Studying meanings of democracy empirically – The multivocality of the term "democracy" The aim of this panel is to discuss methods of studying the meanings of democracy and to question how the knowledge gained through different methodological approaches can contribute to theory-building. P7: Between "democracy" and "non-democracy": measuring the quality of democracy This panel aims to critique existing demarcations between "democracy" and "non-democracy" to improve how democracy is conventionally measured. P8: The role of power in the sciences of democracies The aim of this panel is to question the role of "power" in various theories of democracy. P9: Epistemic fallacies in democratic theory The aim of this panel is discuss how epistemic fallacies influence the creation of knowledge in democratic theory. P10: "Democracy" in other words and languages The aim of this panel is to describe non-English words and their underlying theory/ies, such as the Uzbek xalkparvarlik, that are about "being or doing democracy" but that do not use the word "democracy". P11: Who should "speak" for democracy? Experts, Non-experts, or both? (A Roundtable) The aim of this round table is to progress discussion on who, experts or non-experts or both, should be "controlling the facts" about democracy. P12: Is there a paradigm shift afoot in democracy research? The aim of this closing event is to present strong arguments for and against a paradigm shift in democracy research and to then curate an open debate.