Democracy and the constitutional rule of law (elections are not necessarily democratic): representative, liberal and parliamentary democracy in Europe;
Majoritarian versus consensus democracy: logic of power sharing versus power concentration and the institutional frameworks related with these mod...
Comparative approach
- Interconnectedness and distinctiveness of European democracies
Example: 2018, refugees italy and Spain
Europe today is a continent of democracies
,Liberal democracy
Power of government is constrained by constitutional rules which are upheld by an
independent judicial system : From democracy.. to Politics and government
,Does the moderate centre hold?
- Post-war era showed general consensus among political elites in many countries.
Supporting free market economic policies and commitment to regional integration
(EU).
- Critics characterized it as a ‘party cartel’. Where principled opposition became
replaced with consensus and cooperation among the major parties
- Not anymore: significant differences emerged between political parties and voter
groups on issues such as immigration. European integration. Free market and
climate change.
- Often portrayed negatively when it comes to the emergence of so-called ‘populist’
parties that challenge the traditional centrist parties
Mudde: populism is a symptom of a democratic deficit, not the cause..
Key problem: many people still support the central idea of liberal democracy, but distrust
established parties and politicians.
Nevertheless: people are ambivalent and more centrist/moderate than often assumed/
Ideological polarization = refers to the divergence of political beliefs, opinions and policy
preferences and views on social and cultural issues.
Affective polarization = (dis)like of others, which relates to the perception of the other
group as being either evil or virtuous or - at the intellectual - cognitive level - it refers to the
attributed intelligence or reasoning capabilities, as well as susceptibility to manipulation of
the other group (the others are stupid)
Reality polarization = pertains to the disparity in terms of factors and their interpretation
Reality polarisation = individuals, despite being exposed to the same external world,
develop starkly contrasting interpretations and perceptions about the nature of that reality.
, - These are not mere differences in opinions, values, or preferences, but rather
divergent understandings of fundamental facts and societal dynamics.
- Cognitive-factual polarization can be influenced by selective exposure to information
sources and echo chamber that reinforce preexisting beliefs and misinformation
- people can accurately perceive the same fact but they make different judgements
about its meaning and consequences
- Reality polarization not only pertains to the extent to which citizens deviate in their
beliefs and interpretations of reality but also their understanding of how reality is
‘produced of manufactured’ and how malleable it is
Reality polarization = disparities in factual beliefs PLUS different perceptions of the
structure of society (size, conflict, discrimination of different groups) and society’s inherent
challenges creating parallel realities.
New Media and Populism
- New media creates an ‘increasingly individualized civic environment’ is a personal
experience, not a collective affair
- This results in a blurring of private and public sphere, as well as obfuscate
professional and private life
- Filter bubbles and selective exposure insulates people form opinion-adverse
information
Causes → the global economics crisis, increasing inequality within and between nations
and accompanying anti-immigrant sentiments
Immigration → immigration reduces shared cultural norms and communication (language),
forcing European societies to deal with social dilemmas of increasing diversity:
multiculturalism versus or ‘forced’ assimilation, which fuel a politics where ethic/religious
differences are politicized
populist support
- Next to tradition lower middle class support for far-right politics now also strong
support growing from working-class, blue-collar voters.
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