Pathology of Democracy in the Era of Globalization

The perception of democracy as an abstract–concrete concept containing many civil-political channels for the presence of diverse socio–political forces, paving the way for the transformation of awareness into political action, has undergone some changes with the advent of the 21st century. The origins of these developments stem from demands from below (civil demands of citizens) and pressures from the top (process of globalization). The question then is which factors threaten democracy in the era of globalization? While accepting the undebatable impacts of globalization – such as the relegation of democracy to sub or supra-national levels and restructuring of democracy in new forms, such as democracy in international and regional organizations - this article tries to test the hypothesis that globalization has led to the formation of threatening factors in different areas. While it potentially provides lifeblood for democracy, it also necessitates changes in its content and threatens its existence. Also, this article studies the political pathology of democracy (recognition of weakness in factors like responsiveness, participation, transparency and responsibility; all constituting the features of democracy) both in nation-states and in the new forms of democracy witnessed in international and regional democracies.