ABSTRACT
This book is about the challenges democratic states are facing. Although our primary focus is on Europe, many of the arguments presented here extend farther. We identify two types of challenges. Both types affect how democratic states evolve and transform. The first type represents threats to our democratic systems, ranging from radical right populism and nationalism to terrorism or global warming. These are challenges our democracies have to rise up to and deal with for fear of otherwise perishing altogether or compromising their democratic nature. These challenges have different normative and policy implications. The second type represents transformations that our democratic systems have undergone, ranging from the decline of parties and the evolution of the welfare state to the emergence of transnational public spheres. These challenges are both causes and consequences of wider developments such as the changing nature of political participation, demographic evolutions, or the breakdown of national borders. These challenges, too, pose important normative and policy questions. However, they also come along with opportunities for democratic renewal and systemic reform, which may enhance our political systems.
