Conflict or Consensus? How Democratic Theory Responds to the Recent Wave of Autocratization

Authors : Adil Usturalı

Pages : 247-267

View : 49 | Download : 80

Publication Date : 2025-12-29

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The recent wave of autocratization has some common characteristics. Populist chief executives engage in an act of autocratization that slowly, gradually, and selectively dismantle democratic institutions in their respective countries behind a legal façade. Doing this, they also use states of emergency in their favor. These characteristics provide new insights on a debate between conflictual and consensual camps within contemporary democratic theory. This study aims to provide a comparison between agonistic democracy and deliberative democracy using these insights. The comparison suggests that the strategies adopted by agonistic democracy as well as its fundamental justification of democracy appear problematic within the context of current wave of autocratization. Agonistic strategies share some characteristics with those of enablers of autocratization and, therefore employing them to radicalize and deepen democracy could prove to be counterproductive. Instead, it is suggested that improving deliberative structures and maintaining a strong public sphere is more likely to empower citizens against autocratizing forces and maintain a democratic ethos in the society.
Keywords : Demokrasi Kuramı, Otoriterleşme, Agonistik Demokrasi, Müzakereci Demokrasi, Çatışma, Konsensus

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