Participatory democracy and democratic experimentalism in somber times

Abstract

The debate about the legitimacy crisis of representative democracy has gained new contours in the face of the somber times that characterize contemporary national and international politics. Thus, proposals for changes in the party-electoral system are common and, among progressives, the defense of more radical reforms based on the "participatory democracy" model. Although this model remains relevant at the normative level, there are strong indications that it has its lost political strength. Based on these premises, we review the construction of this model as an alternative to the liberal-elitist one, its main characteristics and the difficulties to achieve its objectives. Then, taking the idea of "democratic experimentalism" as a reference, we try to lay out some perspectives for innovations in participatory institutions that help us to confront the intellectual and political prostration in which we live.