Neoliberalism, the development of underdevelopment and the Latvian disease

Year 2010, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 7 - 10, 01.06.2010

Janis Berzins

Abstract

Can democracy be expanded beyond borders? For many years, it was given for granted that the norms and values of democracy could be applied within the boundaries of a state only. But over the last twenty years, it has been increasingly argued that democracy can also inform international organizations and global politics. This article recapitulates the foundations of cosmopolitan democracy, a project of normative political theory developed since the early 1990s. The article also explores the possibility to move towards cosmopolitan democracy in specific domains such as: i) the development of a global rule of law; ii) the direct participation of stake-holders in trans-border political decisions, and iii) the possibility to give voice to citizens through a World Parliamentary Assembly.