#civicengagement

Rethinking Silence in Democratic Theory: Withholding Speech as Political Agency

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Introduction In political theory, the act of speaking is often treated as the essence of participation. Democratic legitimacy is thought to rest on the voice of the people, expressed in deliberation, protest, or voting. Silence, by contrast, has long been relegated to the margins, dismissed as apathy, repression, or exclusion. Yet history and theory suggest … Read more

The Decline of Political Legitimacy in Democracies: A Quiet Crisis in Plain Sight

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In a world teeming with elections, political campaigns, and constitutional frameworks, one would imagine democracy to be thriving. Yet, the irony of our times is that while the external forms of democracy remain intact, its moral and psychological foundations are weakening. This foundational concern, political legitimacy, lies at the heart of political theory, but is … Read more