Citizens or stakeholders? Exclusion, equality and legitimacy in global stakeholder democracy

Abstract

Introduction At the heart of the democratic project is the simple idea that individuals should have a say in all political decisions that significantly affect their lives. This idea is sometimes called the ‘all-affected’ principle (Goodin 2007, Koenig-Archibugi forthcoming) and is at other times associated with the concept of ‘stakeholding’. In a recent book, I have developed in some depth a model of ‘global stakeholder democracy’, based on a liberal interpretation of such a principle (T. Macdonald 2008). My proposal is that in the era of globalization we should approach the task of democratization – at least in part – by making powerful global actors such as states, international organizati..