Democratization and Legitimacy of Power

This section compiles literature which links democratization and the legitimacy of power to the epistemic capacity of the public sphere, understanding democratization and de-democratization as variations in the capacity for reasoned public choice, emphasizing cooperative intelligence and public knowledge, and focusing on the practices of public politics or on public culture at large. It also includes literature on democracy assistance (or democracy promotion) emphasizing emergent public spheres. “Deliberative Democracy” literature is listed in the guide section on Public Deliberation.

  • Bernstein, Richard J. 2006. “Creative Democracy: The Task Still Before Us.” Pp. 191-204 in The Pragmatic Century: Conversations with Richard J. Bernstein, edited by Davaney, Sheila Greeve, and Warren G. Frisina. Albany (NY): State University of New York Press.
  • Bohman, James. 2007. Democracy across Borders: From Dêmos to Dêmoi. Cambridge (MA): MIT Press.
  • Calhoun, Craig. 2007. “Nationalism and Cultures of Democracy.” Public Culture 19:151-173.
  • Christians, Clifford G., Theodore L. Glasser, Denis McQuail, Kaarle Nordenstreng, and Robert A. White. 2009. Normative Theories of the Media: Journalism in Democratic Societies. Urbana (IL): University of Illinois Press.
  • Cohen, Jean. 1999. “Trust, Voluntary Association and Workable Democracy: the Contemporary American Discourse of Civil Society.” Pp. 208-248 in Democracy and Trust, edited by Warren, Mark. Cambridge (UK): Cambridge University Press. Argues that the concept of the public sphere is at the core of any conception of democracy.
  • Cohen, Joshua. 1997. “Deliberation and Democratic Legitimacy.” [1989] Pp. 67-92 in Deliberative Democracy: Essays on Reason and Politics, edited by Bohman, James, and William Rehg. Cambridge (MA): MIT Press.
  • Dahlgren, Peter. 2009. Media and Political Engagement: Citizens, Communication and Democracy. New York: Cambridge University Press.
  • Dewey, John. 1988. “Creative Democracy – The Task Before Us.” [1939] Pp. 224-230 in 1939-1941. Series: The Later Works, 1925-1953. Carbondale (IL): Southern Illinois University Press.
  • Estlund, David M. 2008. Democratic Authority: A Philosophical Framework. Princeton (NJ): Princeton University Press. On democracy as “epistemic proceduralism” without expertocracy.
  • Gans, Herbert J. 2003. Democracy and the News. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Habermas, Jürgen. 1975 [1973]. Legitimation Crisis. Boston: Beacon Press.
  • —. 1996. “Civil Society and the Political Public Sphere.” Pp. 329-387 in Between Facts and Norms: Contributions to a Discourse Theory of Law and Democracy. Cambridge (MA): MIT Press.
  • —. 1996. “Deliberative Politics: A Procedural Concept of Democracy.” Pp. 287-328 in Between Facts and Norms: Contributions to a Discourse Theory of Law and Democracy. Cambridge (MA): MIT Press.
  • —. 1996. “Popular Sovereignty as Procedure.” [1989] Pp. 463-490 in Between Facts and Norms: Contributions to a Discourse Theory of Law and Democracy. Cambridge (MA): MIT Press.
  • Hirschman, Albert O. 1992. “In Defense of Possibilism.” [Ms. 1980] Pp. 171-175 in Rival Views of Market Society and Other Recent Essays. Cambridge (MA): Harvard University Press.
  • Honneth, Axel. 2007. “Democracy as Reflexive Cooperation.” Pp. 218-239 in Disrespect: The Normative Foundations of Critical Theory. Cambridge (UK): Polity Press.
  • Manin, Bernard. 1987. “On Legitimacy and Political Deliberation.” Political Theory 15:338-368.
  • Mannheim, Karl. 1951 [1936]. Freedom, Power and Democratic Planning. London: Routledge.
  • Offe, Claus. 1999. “How can we trust our Fellow Citizens?” Pp. 42-87 in Democracy and Trust, edited by Warren, Mark. Cambridge (UK): Cambridge University Press.
  • Peters, Bernhard. 2008. “Public Discourse, Identity, and the Problem of Democratic Legitimacy.” Pp. 213-254 in Public Deliberation and Public Culture: The Writings of Bernhard Peters, 1993 – 2005. Foreword by Jürgen Habermas. Basingstoke (Hampshire): Palgrave.
  • Putnam, Hilary. 1992. “A Reconsideration of Deweyan Democracy.” Pp. 180-202 in Renewing Philosophy. Cambridge (MA): Harvard University Press. Discussing what Putnam calls the “epistemological justification of democracy,” referring to John Dewey.
  • Randall, Vicky, ed. 1998. Democratization and the Media. London: Routledge.
  • Schudson, Michael. 2008. Why Democracies Need an Unlovable Press. Cambridge (UK): Polity Press.
  • Starr, Paul. 2008. “Democratic Theory and the History of Communications.” Pp. 35-45 in Explorations in Communication and History, edited by Zelizer, Barbie. New York: Routledge.
  • Tiles, James E. 1997. “Democracy as Culture.” Pp. 119-131 in Justice and Democracy: Cross-Cultural Perspectives, edited by Bontekoe, Ronald, and Marietta Stepaniants. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
  • Tilly, Charles. 2007. Democracy. Cambridge (UK): Cambridge University Press.
  • —. 2007. “Grudging Consent.” The American Interest Vol. 3, No. 2, Sept-Oct. Reprint: Tilly, Charles. 2009. “Grudging Consent.”  SSRC Online Publication, May 27,2009.
  • —. 2009. “Power and Democracy.” Pp. 70-88 in Handbook of Power, edited by Haugaard, Mark, and Stewart Clegg. London: Sage.
  • Westbrook, Robert B. 2005. “Democratic Logic: Pragmatism and the Politics of Truth.” Pp. 175-200 in Democratic Hope. Ithaca (NY): Cornell University Press. Examines John Dewey’s logical argument for democracy.