Documents political theory 17 results

"The introduction to this dossier examines a question central to all the constituent articles: can citizens' assemblies drawn by lot democratically legislate on behalf of the people, and do so with legitimacy? The question of the democratic possibility of non-elected representation is salient in the field of political theory today. In the enlarged deliberative systems that our complex mass societies require, it invites consideration of the legitimacy of new forms of political representation. The use of deliberative processes specifically questions the possibility for a randomly drawn assembly to make decisions on behalf of the whole population, as would elected representatives. This introduction discusses the place of “citizen representatives” in contemporary political theory debates. Though not claiming to provide definitive answers, the introduction explores some of the questions raised by the Citizens' Convention on Climate in France through an analysis of the various articles in the dossier. It clarifies what citizens' assemblies are, and sheds light on the process through which citizens chosen by lot construct their role as political representatives, i.e., “become representative” in a way that exceeds their initial mandate (which is generally limited to reducing the gap between the population and elected officials). The findings of this dossier open the perspective of institutionalizing citizens' assemblies in the law-making process."

"This article raises the question whether riots, protests, and strikes in the aftermath of the Euro-crisis mark a turn from moving backwards to moving forward for labor movements. An answer to this question is developed by disentangling the unmaking and remaking of working classes in the Euro-zone countries. The analysis of their unmaking draws on Beverly Silver's work and shows how technological and organization reorganization and relocations from the 1980s until the present weakened workers' bargaining power and political representation and tore apart the social fabric that had been crucial for the reproduction of class identities even during the period of institutionalized class conflict. The analysis of the remaking of working classes points at fragmented articulations of discontent, which also include the rise of right-wing populism, as parts of a learning process that might eventually lead to the constitution of classes as collective agents of change. This analysis draws on E. P. Thompson's interpretation of the “original making” of working classes but extends his focus on England to the broader European sphere and the consideration of workers' responses to economic crises. Theoretical guidance for these last two aspects comes from Rosa Luxemburg's economic and political writings."

"Political economy and economic sociology have developed in relative isolation from each other. While political economy focuses largely on macrophenomena, economic sociology focuses on the level of social interaction in the economy. The paper argues that economic sociology can provide a microfoundation of political economy beyond rational actor theory and behavioral economics. Based on a discussion of what I call the four Cs of capitalism (credit, commodification, creativity, and competition), I argue that macroeconomic outcomes depend on the "contingent expectations" actors have in decision situations. Expectations are based on the indeterminate and therefore contingent interpretation of the situations actors face. This shifts attention to the "management of expectations" as a crucial element of economic activity and to the institutional, political, and cultural foundations of expectations. The dynamics of capitalist development are precarious because they hinge on the creation of expectations conducive to economic growth."

"This paper examines the meaning of 'autonomy' in European social dialogue, starting from the definition of social dialogue as adopted by the Commission and the social partners in various ways. In addition, the paper considers the applicability of collective autonomy parameters - as traditionally developed by labour law and industrial relations theory - especially after the amendments made by the Lisbon Treaty. Finally, the paper explores social dialogue as a governance model using the conceptual perspective of political science. The analysis leads to two main arguments: first, autonomy should be seen as a primarily procedural matter, related to the implementation of European collective bargaining outputs rather than to a real independence from institutions in managing negotiations. Second, autonomous agreements should be recognized as having relevance for the European legal system, even though defined as soft-law sources. In this regard, a comparison with the open method of coordination adds further meaning to autonomy in the context of European social dialogue."