Global democracy for a partially joined-up world: Toward a multi-level system of public power and democratic governance?

Abstract

For many people throughout the world, the ideal of democracy is now accepted – at least in principle – as the pre-eminent source of political authority and legitimacy. Accordingly, as global–level systems of power, interconnection and organized political governance have expanded in recent years, the challenge of holding the exercise of power in global politics to democratic account has attracted increasing attention. Most commentators concur that increasing the democratic accountability of those wielding power in the global domain is in principle a desirable goal, and agree with proponents of ‘global democracy’ that the exercise of power at a global level – beyond the jurisdictional boundari..