Democracy in motion

Abstract

In contemporay academic debates about democracy we see two main views: representative democracy and participatory democracy. Mostly, these views develop their postulates within the liberal framework, so participation (as a tool or as a good) becomes a key factor dividing analysts. But beyond academic debates and the visualization of politics within a liberal framework, some social networks suggest new radical democratic ways as a third element to add. These are the new global movements, mostly known by entering the media agenda because of “anti-globalization” protests. This paper begins with the link between social movements and radical democracy proposals. After we’ll clarify the theory debates around different forms of democracy, i.e. representative, participatory and radical. Then we’ll move into the discourses and practices of these new global movements and their contributions to the very up-to-date debate around democracy in the framework of this financial and capitalist globalization.