Assessing Democracy In Vitro, In Vivo, and In Actu and the Role of Democratic Theory Today

in Democratic Theory
Author:
Anastasia Deligiaouri Dublin City University anastasia.deligkiaouri@dcu.ie

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Jane Suiter Dublin City University jane.suiter@dcu.ie

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3167/dt.2019.060207
Keywords:
democratic minimum; democratic theory; democracy; representation
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Abstract

How can we define democracy today given the continuous changes that modern societies are undergoing? What is the role of a democratic theorist? This paper articulates a threefold argument in responding to these questions by analyzing the term of democracy in vitro, in vivo, and in actu. The first step is to secure a democratic minimum and the core principles of democracy. The second step involves studying democracy as an ongoing project and examining how the principles of this democratic minimum are encoded. In the third step we deploy the basic premises of discourse theory of Laclau and Mouffe when evaluating a specific discourse of democracy, as this approach encompasses both discursive and nondiscursive practices. Utilizing this three-level evaluative framework for democratic theory will allow us to not only articulate normative principles but also evaluate them according to their mode of implementation.

Contributor Notes

Anastasia Deligiaouri is Marie Curie Experienced Research Fellow at Dublin City University. E-mail: anastasia.deligkiaouri@dcu.ie, adeligiaouri@gmail.com

Jane Suiter is an Associate Professor at the School of Communications at Dublin City University. E-mail: jane.suiter@dcu.ie

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Democratic Theory

An Interdisciplinary Journal

Cover Democratic Theory
Article Category:
Research Article
Page Count:
15
Keywords:
democratic minimum; democratic theory; democracy; representation
Print Publication Date:
01 Dec 2019
Online Publication Date:
01 Dec 2019
Copyright:
© Berghahn Books 2019

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