a political sociology of european democracy. 2 a political sociology of european democracy week 1...
TRANSCRIPT
A Political A Political Sociology Sociology of of European European DemocracDemocracyy
2
A Political A Political Sociology Sociology of of European European DemocracDemocracyy Week 1Week 1
Lecture 1Lecture 1
LecturerLecturer
Paul BlokkerPaul Blokker
3
Introduction– MA in Political Science, University of
Amsterdam;– PhD. from the European University Institute in
Social and Political Sciences (2004);– Postdoc at Universities of Liverpool and Sussex
(with prof. Gerard Delanty);– Research interests in (radical) democracy,
multiple democracies, European integration, constitutionalism(-s), constitutional critique, participation, dissent;
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
4
Introduction– Current project:
Constitutional Politics in Post-Westphalian Europe (COPOLIS);
– Including interest in the case of Icelandic “grass-roots constitutionalism”
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
5
Website
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
bit.ly/PolSocEU
6
Introduction: Course Objectives1. Exploration of a (critical) political sociology
of European integration in general and of European democracy in particular;
2. Relation of European Studies to democratic theory;
3. Exploration of fruitfulness of political-sociological approach with regard to specific empirical cases.
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
7
Introduction: Rationale & Programme- The first part will discuss the role of a
political sociology of democratic politics in the context of the changing contours of democracy and of the political in general.
• Attention to ideas, institutions, (civil) society, European society.
• Exploration of fragmentation and pluralisation of democratic politics (political and constitutional pluralism; post-nationalism).
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
8
Introduction: Rationale & Programme- The second part will approach the
possibility of democracy from the angles of different democratic theories.
• Democratic legitimation on the European level;• Different theories of European democracy,
emphasising different actors and different forms and intensities of legitimation;
• The role of a European demos and European identity.• The possibility of post-national democracy.
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
9
Introduction: Rationale & Programme- The third part will deal with concrete
cases of political conflict, crisis, and participation from above and below.
• Specific devices of a political-sociological approach: actor-focused; interpretative; class; networks; contestation and critique.
• Case-studies of enlargement, the European Convention, European Social Forum, judges and lawyers.
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
10
Introduction: Programme1. Introduction: A Political-Sociological Approach to the EU2. The Westphalian Nation-State and European Integration3. Democracy on the European level4. The Democratic Deficit: Formal and Informal Aspects5. The Construction of a European Political Society6. Multiple Democracies I: Stakeholder Democracy7. Multiple Democracies II: Communitarian Democracy8. Multiple Democracies III: Post-National Democracy9. Heuristic Devices of a Political-Sociological Approach 10. Focus I: Political Elites, Classes, Epistemic Communities11. Focus II: Social Movements, Civic Actors, Contentious Politics12. Focus III: Perceptions of European Democracy
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
11
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
12
Why a Sociology of the EU?a. Emphasis on European society
(in contrast to European institutions)- Transnational networks/fields
- European public sphere(-s)- Civil movements and civic initiatives
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
13
Why a Sociology of the EU?b. Sociological dimension to
European integration:- Ideas (as opposed to interests)- Discourses/narratives- Identity- Culture - Norms/institutions
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
14
Why a Political Sociology of European democracy?
a. Emphasis on role of social actors in democratization (in contrast to exclusive focus on European institutions)- Social movements, associations
- European public sphere(-s)
- Variety of democratic channels and forms of political and civic action
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
15
Why a Political Sociology of European democracy?
b. Emphasis on ideational, cultural dimension- Democratic discourses- Variety of democratic political
cultures
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
16
Why a Political Sociology of European democracy?
c. Emphasis on critical, pluralist approach- Representative democracy vs.
participatory approaches- The role of critique, conflict and
dissent
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
17
Why a Political Sociology of European democracy?
• Role of civic participation in addressing problems of (post-national) democracy?
• Role of conflict and dissent in formation European political society;
• Need for socio-political imagination in studying democracy on European level;
• Relating a plurality of normative models to socio-political reality;
• European democracy as well as Europeanization of democracies in Europe.
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
18
The transformation of modern democracy
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
19
The 4 mutations of modern democracy
(Rosanvallon 2006: 219ff)a. A differentiation of the political;b. A pluralization of the agents of the
political;c. A dissemination of the political;d. An increasing secularization of the
political.
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
20
The 4 mutations of modern democracy(Rosanvallon 2006: 219ff)a. A differentiation of the political
There is a growing disentanglement of sovereignty and government, two functions that were closely related in the modern nation-state
Regulatory schemes operate on the transnational level (EU law; WTO; Human rights schemes)
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
21
The 4 mutations of modern democracy(Rosanvallon 2006: 219ff)b. A pluralization of the agents of the
political;The classical agent of the political is the citizen who was represented through procedural forms (elections). Today, however, there are new forms of representation developing (expertise, moral).
Experts represent stakeholders in governance networks. Charities represent a problem (poverty).
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
22
The 4 mutations of modern democracy(Rosanvallon 2006: 219ff)c. A dissemination of the political;
Originally, individual emancipation (Locke) was distinguished from collective emancipation (Rousseau). Today these two forms are inextricably linked.
The difference between liberalism and democracy has largely collapsed.
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
23
The 4 mutations of modern democracy(Rosanvallon 2006: 219ff)d. An increasing secularization of the
political;We are living through the end of democracy based on the will. The idea that there exists a “general will” is cast in doubt today.
It is increasingly clear that a unified agent – a people – is difficult to identify and in reality there are many different “wills”.
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
24
The transformation of modern democracy(Ferrara 2011: 67ff)- A first transformation of democracy was from an
ancient idea of democracy (the rule of the many) to a modern, representative democracy.
- Modern democracy adds three aspects to democratic autonomy:- Individual rights- Constitution and constitutionalism
- The Nation-State
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
25
The transformation of modern democracy(Ferrara 2011: 67ff)- A second major transformation is occurring
today: the relativization of the nation-society, and the emergence of a ‘world society’ or ‘international community’.
- What does democracy mean in this context? Can democracy mean the same thing as when applied to a singular and national political regime?
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
26
The transformation of modern democracy
(Ferrara 2011: 67ff)- When evaluating the European integration
project and its democratic standards, can we talk about a democratic deficit?
- As Ferrara argues, it is only possibility to speak of a democratic deficit if we have a clear benchmark of what democracy should look like (such as the ‘national measure’).
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
27
The transformation of modern democracy(Ferrara 2011: 67ff)- Using the ‘national measure’ for evaluating the
democraticness of the EU is however problematic.- The shift from government to governance means:
- A shift from clear, centralized authority to shared authority
- A shift from direct sanctions to soft, indirect sanctions- A shift in the meaning of legitimacy
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
28
The transformation of modern democracy(Ferrara 2011: 67ff)- Using the ‘national measure’ for evaluating the
democraticness of the EU is however problematic.- The shift from government to governance means:
- A shift from clear, centralized authority to shared authority
- A shift from direct sanctions to soft, indirect sanctions- A shift in the meaning of legitimacy
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
29
The transformation of modern democracy(Ferrara 2011: 67ff)- The new emphasis on governance points to a
mode of politics/political coordination which entails ‘control without commanding’
- How does governance relate to democracy? Is democracy necessary based on majority rule and elections?
- Can governance be understood as invoking a different view of democracy, based on consensus-building between stakeholders?
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale
30
The transformation of modern democracy(Ferrara 2011: 67ff)- According to Ferrara, ‘the idea that democracy
means that citizens are in the ultimate analysis authors of the laws to which to obey is to be substituted for by the idea that democracy means that citizens are ultimately the subscribers, free and equal, of a constitutional pact which in turn serves as a standard of legitimacy for any legislative, regulatory and administrative product’ (75)
Introduction
Governo LocaleGoverno Locale