ABSTRACT
The collapse of the Soviet Union left the United States as an unrivalled world power. Politics in much of the world depends heavily on how far the ideological predilections of the United States lead to the propagation of a particular form of democracy. Privatisation saps democracy by attacking political power, and the exercise of political power by governments is increasingly seen as illegitimate. For civil society, globalisation has both direct and indirect effects. As in the United States, the attractions of consumerism, including the availability of global television channels, often prove stronger those of community activities. The old ideologies of communism, fascism and social democracy had all assumed the existence of a state that was master of its own house, rather than a mere facilitator driving the best bargain it can with global business. If democracy implies that every citizen has an equal voice, the current world order is even more deficient in democracy than the nation states.
