The “Professional” Political Participation and Its Influence on the Deficit of Democracy

Abstract

This paper examines the new forms of political participation, whose central feature is not a gathering power of political solidarity, but a chequebook participation that developed in recent decades as a result of neoliberal policies. This so called “professionalised” approach overtakes traditional grassroots activists’ practises. Political solidarity – one of the three essential elements of democracy (together with freedom and equality) – has been gradually replaced by managerial techniques resulting in a deepening deficit of democracy. One of the reasons behind the changing trends in political participation is the so-called professionalisation of the non-governmental sector, when hired administrators substitute face-to-face grassroots actions by managerial sales strategies. As a result, we see more individualised participatory actions which do not aim at changing any existing political institutions into more socially just ones. Individualised civic participation changes the traditional forms and motives of political solidarity as well as political mobilisation; as a result, democratic citizenry experiences are reduced to political participation.