Conclusion

Summary

One underlying claim in this book is that we can identify a deep political paradox at the core of modern society. Since the 1980s, democracy has become a global political form, and adherence to norms of democratic representation is now almost universally defined as a precondition of political legitimacy. However, democracy is described and promoted in constitutional terms that do not fully capture its substance. The progressive consolidation of democracy across the globe has hinged on the assertion that democracy is constitutionally legitimated by acts of popular sovereignty and sovereign citizenship. Yet, this construction does not provide an adequate description of democracy.