Democracy no longer inspires political and moral judgements and for many democracy is scorned as nothing more than pandering to populist prejudice. This Battle of Ideas debate interrogates the fanciful delusions that suffrage for sixteen year olds, Occupy-style protest or digital direct democracy make for a more engaged citizenry. Whatever happened to the foundational idea that liberal democracy obliges us all to convince others who share common interests to win a public mandate for real alternatives?
