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The “Democracy-Politics Paradox”

The Dynamics of Political Alienation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

Gerry Stoker and
Mark Evans
Gerry Stoker*
Affiliation:
University of Canberral
Mark Evans*
Affiliation:
Centre for Citizenship, Globalization and Governance, University of Southampton, United Kingdom
*
gerry.stoker@canberra.edu.au
Mark.Evans@canberra.edu.au
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Abstract

Contemporary political scientists have observed a democratic paradox that has crystallized around the disconnection between how citizens imagine their democracy and how politics is practiced. Citizens continue to believe in the values of liberal democracy but are increasingly disillusioned with how their political systems work and the politics that are practiced in the name of democracy. This article revisits the root causes of political alienation to better understand this democratic paradox. It provides both a conceptual understanding of political alienation and its domain of action and insights into how the concept can be operationalized and measured in empirical research. It argues that while democracy itself may not be in crisis, the politics on which its operation rests is in peril.

Keywords

citizensdemocracyempiricismmeasurementpolitical alienationpolitical engagement

Information

Type
Is Democracy in Crisis?
Information
Democratic Theory , Volume 1 , Issue 2: The Crisis of Democracy: Which Crisis? Which Democracy? , December 2014, pp. 26 - 36
Copyright
Copyright © Democratic Theory 2014

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