Counter-Democracy: Politics in an Age of Distrust (The Seeley Lectures, Series Number 7)

Democracy is established as a generally uncontested ideal, while regimes inspired by this form of government fall under constant criticism. Hence, the steady erosion of confidence in representatives that has become one of the major political issues of our time. Amidst these challenges, the paradox remains that while citizens are less likely to make the trip to the ballot box, the world is far from entering a phase of general political apathy. Demonstrations and activism abound in the streets, in cities across the globe and on the internet. Pierre Rosanvallon analyses the mechanisms used to register a citizen's expression of confidence or distrust, and then focuses on the role that distrust plays in democracy from both a historical and theoretical perspective. This radical shift in perspective uncovers a series of practices - surveillance, prevention, and judgement - through which society corrects and exerts pressure. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 2 Title - Series......Page 4 Title......Page 6 Copyright......Page 7 Contents......Page 8 Foreword......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 Part 1 - Overseeing democracy......Page 42 1 - Vigilance, denunciation, evaluation......Page 46 2 - The overseers......Page 70 3 - The thread of history......Page 89 4 - Legitimacy conflicts......Page 117 Part 2 - The sovereignty of prevention......Page 134 5 - From the right of resistance to complex sovereignty......Page 138 6 - Self-critical democracies......Page 163 7 - Negative politics......Page 186 Part 3 - The people as judge......Page 204 8 - Historical references......Page 208 9 - Almost legislators......Page 227 10 - The preference for judgment......Page 240 Part 4 - Unpolitical democracy......Page 262 11 - The sense of powerlessness and symbols of depoliticization......Page 266 12 - The populist temptation......Page 278 13 - Lessons of unpolitical economy......Page 287 14 - Conclusion: the modern mixed regime......Page 303 Index......Page 332 Cover; Half-title; Title; Copyright; Contents; Foreword; Introduction; The society of distrust; The three dimensions of counter-democracy; The myth of the passive citizen; Depoliticization or the unpolitical?; Reinterpreting the history of democracy; Part 1 Overseeing democracy; 1 Vigilance, denunciation, evaluation; 2 The overseers; 3 The thread of history; 4 Legitimacy conflicts; Part 2 The sovereignty of prevention; 5 From the right of resistance to complex sovereignty; 6 Self-critical democracies; 7 Negative politics; Part 3 The people as judge; 8 Historical references. Pierre Rosanvallon ; Translated By Arthur Goldhammer. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Translated From The French. The latest contribution to one of the most distinguished and important series in political thought in the world.