Ruling The Void: The Hollowing Of Western DemocracyIn the long-established democracies of Western Europe, electoral turnouts are in decline, membership is shrinking in the major parties, and those who remain loyal partisans are sapped of enthusiasm. Peter Mair’s new book weighs the impact of these changes, which together show that, after a century of democratic aspiration, electorates are deserting the political arena. Mair examines the alarming parallel development that has seen Europe’s political elites remodel themselves as a homogeneous professional class, withdrawing into state institutions that offer relative stability in a world of fickle voters. Meanwhile, non-democratic agencies and practices proliferate and gain credibility—not least among them the European Union itself, an organization contributing to the depoliticization of the member states and one whose notorious ‘democratic deficit’ reflects the deliberate intentions of its founders. Ruling the Void offers an authoritative and chilling assessment of the prospects for popular political representation today, not only in the varied democracies of Europe but throughout the developed world. |
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accountability aggregate arena become Belgium cent channels citizens coalition competing competition consensus constitutional context conventional politics countries decades decision-making decline democ democratic legitimacy demos depoliticization dimension disengagement elec electoral process elites European elections European level European Parliament European polities European Union Eurosceptical Euroscepticism evidence example Fareed Zakaria Fianna Fáil Finland forms France functions hence important increasingly indifference Ireland issue Italy Katz and Mair least levels of turnout mainstream Majone major mass party mass politics ment national level Netherlands non-majoritarian institutions Norway opposition organization organizational participation particular partisan party democracy party government party systems pattern Peter Mair Pim Fortuyn policy-making political leaders political parties political system politicians popular democracy populist postwar racy representation representative role Ruling the Void seen sense shift Sinn Féin social Sweden tion tive traditional trends True Finns two-party system volatility voters voting western Europe withdrawal words