ABSTRACT
Governing complexity requires simplification. To make the complexity of the current globalized world governable, the processes of decision-making must be simplified. Each of the multiple levels and sectors of government should deal with specific policy issues.
National sovereignty, or the exclusive, absolute power to make final decisions on all matters within a territory, should not be, cannot be, and is no longer a real attribute of states or any other institution in the current interdependent world. Division of powers among several governments, each able to make final decisions on different issues, are key for democratic progress.
All forms of democratic governance are hybrids with different combinations of direct participation, representative elections, and expert rule, which imply different degrees of openness, transparency, and accountability. The following chapters discuss the performance of different democratic formulas at the local, national, continental, and global levels.
