Programajánló – Democracy and Its Discontents

Ajánljuk minden érdeklődő figyelmébe a CEU által szervezett, Democracy and Its Discontents című konferenciát.
Időpont: 2015. október 9–10.
Részletes tájékoztatás a konferencia oldalán.

Across Europe and the United States, citizens today express concern for the quality of their democracies. Some go so far to ask whether democracy is up to the task of addressing key policy challenges of inclusive economic growth, rising economic inequality, and immigration.  Political polarization has grown to unprecedented levels in the United States, while in Europe, anti-system extremist parties have grown in appeal and influence. Citizen confidence in democratic institutions has declined, as has trust in government.

Pressing problems challenge the quality, vigor, and legitimacy of liberal, representative government.  These included the hollowing out of democratic institutions, as a result of declining popular involvement in elections and political parties (and the atrophy of parties’ links to civil society); the tenacious, corrupting influence of money in campaign and party finance; the vulnerability of legislative and administrative deliberation to capture by wealthy interests as a result of lobbying; and underlying and exacerbating these, the nearly universal trend toward increasing concentration of wealth and income within countries.

What are the causes of this new democratic dissatisfaction?  Will it be a permanent feature of political life in Europe and the United States?  Will it erode democracy’s efficacy?

“Democracy and Its Discontents” will explore these questions by focusing comparatively on European democracies and the United States.  It will diagnose the causes of democratic discontent, but also consider possible policy and institutional responses to re-invigorate democracy and improve democratic government.