Democratic Voice: Popular Sovereignty in Conditions of Pluralisation

Taking the aftermath of the 2010 Australian election as its backdrop, this article examines the shifting character of democratic expression in contemporary democratic polities. Increasing societal pluralisation along with the growing professionalisation of political elites poses significant challenges to prevailing models of representative democracy. Key questions arise about the status of popular sovereignty as traditional conduits of democratic voice struggle to register and mediate new and highly differentiated interests, values and demands. The article problematises this issue simultaneously as a conceptual reformulation of democratic theory and as an analytical investigation of the reorientation of political practice.