Three Principles of Democratic Inclusion

Whose interests should be represented in democratic decisions? Whose rights ought to be protected by democratic governments? Who has a claim to citizenship and voting rights? Against most current normative theories of democracy, this contribution argues that these three questions call for different responses. Democratic legitimacy requires taking into account the interests negatively affected by a decision, the provision of equal rights and contestation options for all subjected to the law, and citizenship status for all those with genuine ties to a particular democratic polity.