Suchergebnisse

The central question of this contribution is how international policymakers – mostly States - ought to respond to global protests. There are essentially three ways for them to respond. First, they can refuse these critical world's citizens the possibility to take part in authoritative policymaking at the global level and essentially leave this to State representatives. The second option is to embrace and welcome the participation of the ordinary citizens in global policymaking. The policymakers might institutionalize the citizens' involvement, and make their participation an additional element in the process of authoritative policymaking at the global level. The third option is to go even further and replace the inter-State policymaking with a kind of global democracy: a system of representative democracy at the global level. All three scenarios will be explored, with a focus on the second.

What place is left for critical citizens to influence policy making in an illiberal democracy? And how are the authorities likely to respond to such calls for public participation? This essay explores three scenarios: (1) critical citizens can be suppressed and persecuted by the government; (2) they can be encouraged to use whatever is left of existing democratic institutions to influence public policy; or (3) they can be invited by the government to participate directly in public policymaking through such instruments as referenda or public consultations. Leaders in illiberal democracies know this, and will use it to their advantage.