Gregory Feldman, Assistant Professor of International Migration, University of British Columbia
Democracy's mighty ideals are contrasted with the gross economical imbalance in the world. Policymakers are identified as key players, able to reproduce or change this societal order. The article tries to deconstruct the ideological work preventing policymakers from acting upon the discrepancies between the anaesthetized image of the system and its real effects. Feldman underscores the importance of a dialogue between social pundits and policymakers.
Hermann Scheer, Member of the German Bundestag, Right Livelihood Award laureate
Facing problems like the declining membership of parties and less and less turnout, Hermann Scheer calls for decisive and broad reforms of democracy. Referring to Roosevelt's New Deal, he states that development of the political system is possible and necessary in order to avoid further alienation between the public and their representatives. His remedy for the German case includes the use of referenda on the federal level and the mandatory approval of new ministers by the parliament.
Dr. John Hulsman, Alfred von Oppenheim Scholar in Residence at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin.
Dr. John Hulsman is an Alfred von Oppenheim Scholar in Residence at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin. In his interview, Hulsman deconstructs democracy, party politics, and the political systems of Germany and the United States. For Hulsman, democracy is about changing people’s opinions – something top-ranking politicians in Germany don’t have the heart to do, as he had to find out in his uncounted off-the-record conversations with them.
