Prof. Colin Crouch. Source
The term post-democracy was coined firstly by a Warwick University political scientist Colin Crouch in 2000 in his book Coping with Post-Democracy. As his critical view regards current stagnant and narrow discourse on democracy as a mere electoral politics which nowadays getting more look like advertisement industry.
Crouch highlight the lack of progressive (or participatory) democracy application in states designated operate under democratic system, characterised by free election, change of the government, rule of law and freedom of speech. But they become a charade, as it was small elite of financial and politics who effectively taking the tough decisions and co-opts the democratic institutions.
The facts are shaking our 21st century views on democracies by which are losing some of their foundations and evolving towards something bad. It is against our common view about democracy so far, so that we tend to categorised those as un-democracy. However, it's not correct fully, as all the facts exist in democracy realm and tendency already. So what we should called on it?
The term “post” use here doesn’t mean equal to anti–democracy and pre–democracy, its different. To be precisely, its direct analogue to term of “post–industrial” where society innovate the products, driver and energy of industry in search of new possibilities way of life. So does the post term applied here, as defined by Crouch:
"A post-democratic society is one that continues to have and to use all the institutions of democracy, but in which they increasingly become a formal shell. The energy and innovative drive pass away from the democratic arena and into small circles of a politico-economic elite."
In other word, post-democracy is refer to the fusion of corporate power with government, generating an elite politics based on a political-financial cycle in which money buys power and power rewards money. See here!
What the post-democracy is dealing with?
The concept derives from the poor health of democracy he observed since the end of communism till recents peak of historical democracy enjoy by worldwide. Said, democracy thrives when there are major opportunities for the mass of ordinary people actively to participate through discussion and autonomous organisations, in shaping the agenda of public life, and when these opportunities are being actively used by them.
Crouch explain further, the idea of post-democracy helps us describe situations when boredom, frustration and disillusion have settled in after a democratic moment; when powerful minority interests have become far more active than the mass of ordinary people in making the political system work for them; where political elites have learned to manage and manipulate popular demands; where people have to be persuaded to vote by top-down publicity campaigns.
The concept basically dealing with the need to develop institutions of democracy going beyond the idea of elected representatives in a parliament. Given public reluctant toward and declining participation in all elections, while there seems little demand among people for more opportunities to vote.
Public seems don't expect much anymore (at some degree, they apathy) with political process, as witnessing the ignorance politician can be regards public aspire against private interest. They questioning the role of parliament and political party who represent them, how parliament which largely comprise of wealthy businessman are eligible to represent the mass of ordinary and ethnic minorities, when corporation interest becomes increasingly influential in public policy?
Post-democracy also dealing with xenophobic rising and capitalised by some politicians who channeling social discontent away of the real problem solving.
What solutions then?
In basic, political legitimacy is still depends on public sphere, even though the riches can own the medias and influencing the public opinion. According to Crouch, one of these solutions are laying in social media platform, where voters can participate more actively in public debates. In addition, these voters could establish the advocacy group for specific interest and invite more others to join and developing public consciousness.
In short, the citizens have to reclaim their place in decision making!
Further readings
http://www.fabians.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Post-Democracy.pdf
