The Problem with Democracy

Source: "The Problem with Democracy" by Matthew Flinders, published in Parliamentary Affairs, April 2015.

Overview: Matthew Flinders' article "The Problem with Democracy" argues that while democracy remains a central "enduring idea" with high public support, it faces a significant and growing "image problem" reflected in widespread disaffection with "politics." The article identifies not a single problem, but seven inter-related "problems" that collectively reveal a "withering away of our capacity to re-imagine a different way of living; to re-connect with those around us; to re-interpret challenges as opportunities or to re-define how we understand and make democracy work." Flinders contends that the core issue is a "loss of what we might call our democratic or political imagination."

Main Themes and Key Ideas:

1. The "Democracy-Politics Paradox" and Loss of Political Imagination:

High Support for Democracy, Low Support for Politics: Public opinion surveys consistently show strong attachment to the concept of "democracy" but simultaneously reveal "worrying low and falling levels of support for the concept of ‘politics’." Flinders postulates that "Maybe the problem with democracy—at a deeper level—is that you cannot have democracy without the politics." Loss of Democratic/Political Imagination: The central argument is that if there is a problem with democracy, "it relates to a loss of what we might call our democratic or political imagination." This loss encompasses the capacity to "re-imagine a different way of living; to re-connect with those around us; to re-interpret challenges as opportunities or to re-define how we understand and make democracy work."

2. Seven Inter-Related Problems of Democracy:

Problem 1: Voting Alone (The Civic Culture Has Changed):

Erosion of Traditional Civic Culture: The "civic culture of advanced liberal democracies appears to have changed in ways that suggest the erosion of popular support and the emergence of less deferential ‘critical citizens’." This contrasts with earlier models emphasizing "participant citizens" and "subject citizens" with basic awareness and support for the system. Individualization and Declining Trust: The civic culture has become "more suspicious of political processes and political institutions but also more individualised in its internal logic." Trust in parliaments has declined in most established democracies.

The "Democratic Gap": There is increasing polarization in political engagement, with the young and poor far less likely to vote than older or wealthier individuals. This gap has widened significantly, leading to concerns about a "cohort effect" (young people not adopting participatory habits) and a "policy effect" (politicians catering to more engaged demographics). "Liquid Modernity": Drawing on Bauman, Flinders suggests that the "erosion, hollowing-out or ebbing-away of those once solid social reference points" has contributed to a changed civic culture where individuals neither trust nor join political institutions in traditional ways.

Problem 2: Populism Unleashed (No Quick Fixes):

Populism as a Threat and Challenger: Populism is described as both "a threat and a corrective to democracy." It's a "challenger brand" that seeks to change how democracy functions, often in expressive, direct, and emotive ways.

Simplistic Solutions vs. Complex Problems: Populism "tends to create simplistic interpretations of problems and then simplistic solutions," in contrast to mainstream politics that must acknowledge and navigate complexity. It "creates enemies and denies the need to compromise."

"Pure People" vs. "Corrupt Elite": Populism is defined as an ideology that "considers society to be ultimately separated into two homogenous and antagonistic groups, the ‘pure people’ and the ‘corrupt elite’."

Leadership Trap and Political Illiteracy: Populism preys on low levels of political literacy and a desire for "strong transformational leaders" in an age where politicians are held in contempt. It fills the gap left by established institutions failing to evolve.

Problem 3: Market Madness (Amazonian Politics and Loss of Equilibrium):

Dominance of the Market: There has been a "hegemonic neo-liberal political rationality" that has encroached upon various spheres of social life, with "democratic control over the market has not been relinquished." This contradicts democratic theory's ideal of equal opportunity to affect decisions.

"Amazonian Politics": Flinders introduces the concept of "Amazonian politics," where "individuals view their interactions with parties and political candidates as they would a retail relationship in which goods and services are bought." Citizens become "citizen-consumers," expecting individualized solutions and quick delivery, which democracy, geared towards collective outputs, cannot provide. Economic Inequality: The transformation of the global economic order and increasing income and wealth inequalities contribute to pressure on democratic politics.

Problem 4: Democratic Denial (The Coping Mechanism):

Slow Evolution of Democratic Structures: Democratic institutions and processes "seem to evolve and change at a glacial pace while the world around it seems to move at an ever-increasing pace," leading to public disconnection.

Depoliticization: This problem manifests as a "de-democratisation" where democratic choices are reduced to "technocratic rationality or market efficiency" or transferred to "allegedly non-political arenas" of experts and judges. This acts as a coping mechanism for politicians facing increasing complexity and unrealistic public expectations. "Ruling the Void": Political leaders increasingly "ruling the void" signifies their circumscribed capacity for action due to predecessors' decisions and a decline in collective confidence among the political elite.

Problem 5: Hyper-Democracy (The Deafening Growth of 'Voice'):

Intensification, Not Excess, of Democracy: "Hyper-democracy" refers to the "intensification of democracy," where political pressures on the system increase, putting it under strain. This isn't necessarily "good" for democracy.

Overload and Lack of Deliberation: The rapid growth of information communication technology (ICT) and new scrutiny mechanisms has led to "publicity, exposure, investigation, revelation, and campaigning for policies through the media have become the norm." This creates an information-overloaded citizenry that "lacks filters but is committed to using more and more voice mechanisms with an ever higher volume." "Policy debate occurs without deliberation. Public mobilisation occurs without a public." Individualized Claims vs. Common Good: Hyper-democracy's pressures are "thin" because they are often "exerted by a small elite" and arise "increasingly from individualistic claims, rather than those made for the ‘common good’."

Crisis of Decidability: The constant democratization of democratic processes makes "decision making on concrete policy matters increasingly difficult," leading to a "crisis of decidability," particularly for long-term progressive reforms.

Problem 6: Hearing Loss (Listening to Democracy):

Neglect of Listening: "Hyper-democracy is internally one-sided in the sense that it consistently focuses on increasing political ‘voice’ but not ‘listening’." Despite its importance in daily life, democratic listening has been "almost completely ignored in political conversation."

Adversarial Political Culture: The UK's political culture is described as "infantile and immature," where "changing your mind or compromising is defined as a weakness," hindering effective listening. Volume Over Reflection: The "volume of hyper-democracy is loud and brash," leaving "very little silence" for reflection and processing what has been heard. Digital platforms, while offering new forms of engagement, often create "increasingly extreme echo chambers" rather than fostering listening to differing views.

Voice vs. Choice: Being listened to does not guarantee getting what one wants, as democratic politics involves "squeezing collective decisions out of multiple and competing interests and opinions."

Problem 7: Political Illiteracy (Aspiration, Understanding, and Confidence):

Low Public Knowledge: "Incredibly low levels of basic public knowledge about how politics works and what politicians do" are consistently revealed by surveys. This affects civic culture, populism, individualism, and hyper-democracy.

Neglect of "Learning for Democracy": There's a failure to appreciate that democracy requires "training and support," leading to high levels of disengagement. Political education has historically been the preserve of elites.

Citizenship Education Shortcomings: While citizenship education is part of the national curriculum in the UK, it has not been implemented effectively. Reforms risk making it "individualised and commodified," lacking emphasis on active citizenship and practical skills.

"Slow Thinking" Deficit: Modern politics, with its "fast thinking diet," reinforces negative views. Citizenship education should provide "safe democratic space for slow thinking (and slow listening)," fostering political imagination.

3. The Need for Political Imagination and Renewal:

Beyond Apathy and Disengagement: While facing numerous global challenges, "by far the biggest problem with democracy is the growth of apathy and disengagement." Engagement with Understanding: "Engagement without understanding the values, aims and pressures of democratic politics—without realism—can only ever lead to disillusionment." Democracy as an Unfinished Project: Democracy has "never been a finished thing, but has been continually renewed, redefined and reinvented." Crises are a "constitutive part" of democracy's history and offer opportunities for renewal.

Cultivating the Political Imagination: The article concludes by emphasizing the urgent need to "cultivate the political imagination to re-imagine democratic institutions and processes and through this breath new life into politics."

Conclusion: Flinders' briefing doc paints a complex and concerning picture of modern democracy, not as a system facing a single, easily identifiable flaw, but rather a confluence of interconnected challenges. The overarching message is that the public's disaffection with politics, despite a nominal commitment to democracy, stems from a fundamental loss of "political imagination." This loss is exacerbated by evolving civic cultures, the rise of simplistic populism, the dominance of market logic, institutional inertia leading to democratic denial, the overwhelming and individualized nature of hyper-democracy, a systemic failure to cultivate listening, and pervasive political illiteracy. The call to action is to re-engage with the idea of democracy as an ongoing, imperfect, and demanding project that requires sustained effort to understand, participate in, and, crucially, to reimagine