THE CRISIS OF DEMOCRACY. A TECHNOCRATIC ALTERNATIVE.


DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/2415-881x.2025.95.182-201

Vadym Derkach

Abstract


This article critically examines the contradiction between democratic legitimacy, grounded in the electoral basis of power, and administrative efficiency which demands professional expertise. The author undertakes a conceptual reconstruction of the canonical doctrine of democracy, distinguishing its normative and simulative aspects, and contrasts it with the actual practice of democratic arrangements as polyarchies of activist groups. It is argued that under conditions of increasing complexity of social organization and bureaucratization of the state apparatus, representative democracy transforms into an instrument of ritualized confirmation of loyalty, failing to ensure genuine popular control. Hybrid models that combine elements of deliberative democracy, participatory budgeting, and technocratic decision-making are considered as alternatives. The article proposes heuristic scenarios for the renewal of democratic institutions that could achieve a balance between participation, competence, and legitimacy.

Keywords


democratic legitimacy; technocratic governance; deliberative democracy; political representation

References


Crouch, C. (2020). Post-democracy after the crises. Polity Press.

Riker, W. H. (1982). Liberalism against populism: A confrontation between the theory of democracy and the theory of social choice. W. H. Freeman.

Held, D. (2006). Models of democracy (3rd ed.). Stanford University Press.

Schumpeter, J. A. (1942). Capitalism, socialism and democracy. Harper & Brothers.

Dahl, R. A. (1971). Polyarchy: Participation and opposition. Yale University Press.

Manin, B. (1997). The principles of representative government. Cambridge University Press.

Mueller, D. C. (2003). Public choice III. Cambridge University Press.

Dryzek, J. S. (2000). Deliberative democracy and beyond: Liberals, critics, contestations. Oxford University Press.

Brennan, J. (2016). Against democracy. Princeton University Press.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

The editorial board does not always share the position of the authors. The authors are responsible for the accuracy of the material presented.
All rights reserved.
© Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 2026