Call for Papers: The Political Theory of Democratic Elections (Joint Sessions, Prague, 20-23 May)

The place and nature of elections in the theory and practice of democracy are increasingly contested. What justifies the use of elections rather than other means of selecting representatives for political office, and what, if anything, counts as a democratic election and as democratic behaviour within an election are far from clear. In response, this workshop aims to clarify the contours and possibilities of a political theory of democratic elections and to shed light on its conceptual, normative, and practical dimensions. The workshop also aims to consolidate the new ECPR research network on the political theory of elections.

We are looking for papers on:

1: Elections and the justification of democracy
2: Electoral democracy in ideal, non-ideal and highly-non-ideal theory
3: The design of democratic elections and electoral innovations
4: Democratic alternatives/supplements to elections
5: The differences between democratic and undemocratic elections
6: Electoral integrity
7: Electoral democracy, oligarchy, and democratic backsliding
8: The ethics of voting, standing, and campaigning

Abstracts must be submitted online by the 21st of November 2024.