Liberal Democracy in Crisis

This book rethinks resistance against neoliberalism in the context of the crisis of Western liberal democracy and the rise of new radical left parties in Europe. Drawing upon a wide range of methodological approaches in contemporary political and social theory, it explores how the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis represents the opening of possibilities for resistance and examines the structural hurdles facing radical politics in effectively challenging neoliberalism. The author challenges the dominant conceptions of democratic politics by critically interrogating the role of liberalism in the depoliticisation of governing and the neoliberal restructuring of the democratic role of the state. The trajectory of new radical left parties in Slovenia, Greece and Spain is used to demonstrate the need to overcome the binary divide between institutional politics and resistance in radical political theory and practice.

Provides a theoretical and analytical study in the contemporary crisis of liberal democracy Engages with the democratic challenges encountered by the post-2011 protest movements Is attentive to both history and the role of ideology in shaping structures of power

Autorentext
Alen Topliek is Teaching Fellow at SOAS, University of London, UK. His research examines the impact of social movements and political ideas on the political and economic governance structures in contemporary democracies. He has published in a variety of academic and popular outlets. ****

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. Understanding the crisis of liberal democracy and rethinking democratic politics.- 3. Understanding (Neo)Liberalism: The Relationship between the Liberal State and Free Market Capitalism.- 4. Crisis: Critique, Temporality and Trauma.- 5. Politics and Resistance as Power.- 6. Challenging Neoliberal Governmentality: Social Movements and the New Radical Left.- 7. Conclusion.