Full Description
This book explores the often-overlooked democratic principle of 'rotation of power'.
It considers two key questions: what happens when power stops changing hands in a democracy, and when incumbents manipulate the system to entrench themselves in office, can democracy survive?
Democracies are often celebrated for their ability to ensure accountability and renewal through the peaceful and unhindered alternation of power. Yet, they are not immune to a dangerous phenomenon: political self-entrenchment. This phenomenon occurs when incumbents, unilaterally or collectively, exploit the power of office to dominate the political arena, tilt the playing field, and distort democratic competition. Contributing to scholarly and judicial debates, this book offers a fresh perspective on this issue by focusing on the cornerstone value of democracy: the rotation of power.
Through sharp analysis and case studies from multiple jurisdictions, this book tackles the following critical questions: why is the rotation of power fundamental to democracy? How do incumbents undermine it? And, crucially, how can we protect democratic competition from those who seek to monopolise power?
Contents
Introduction
1. Rotation of Power: The Inherent Principle in Democracies
2. The Democratic Paradox
3. Democratic Competition and the Market-based Analogy
4. Abuse of Structural Advantage and Political Cartels
5. Distortion of the Rotation of Power and the Rule-of-Law Approach
6. Independent Bodies and Representatives in Defending the Rotation of Power
7. The Unwritten Principle of Rotation of Power
8. Counter-Majoritarian Mechanisms and the Rotation of Power
9. Strategic Democracy and the Rotation of Power
Concluding Remarks
