Herausgeforderte Demokratie

A good century after its widespread establishment, democracy appears to be at a historic crossroads. While it was long regarded as a model of success, the number of authoritarian regimes now exceeds the number of democracies worldwide. In addition, there is criticism from within regarding the lack of participation by certain social groups, the question of how to define the “demos” in a multicultural society shaped by migration, and doubts about democracy’s effectiveness in light of staffing shortages in the judiciary and public administration. This volume critically examines the aforementioned crises and impending challenges from the perspective of Christian social ethics and explores possibilities for transformation: • What exactly are the challenges currently facing democracy, and what is at stake as a result? • Which claims to validity emerge in the discourse, on what grounds, and what implications do they have for the political system? • How are negotiation processes changing in which these claims to validity are brought into dialogue with one another and weighed against each other? • What resources can contribute to constructively addressing these challenges, and how can they be mobilised?