3rd Bucharest Conference in Analytical Political Theory

Topic: Recent Trends in Democratic Theory: Challenges, Innovations, Paradoxes

Date: 8-9 June 2023

Location: University of Bucharest

Keynote speakers: Richard Bellamy (University College London) and Annabelle Lever (Sciences Po)

The Bucharest Conference in Analytical Political Theory aims to provide an annual forum for the debate of salient contemporary topics and challenges within the field of political theory, with a specific methodological orientation towards the analytical philosophical tradition. The conference, which has a broad international scope, is co-organized by the Bucharest Center for Political Theory and the Research Institute of the University of Bucharest – Social Sciences Division. Previous keynote speakers include Anca Gheaus (Central European University), Axel Gosseries (UCLouvain), Ingrid Robeyns (Utrecht University) and Liam Shields (University of Manchester).

The topic of the third edition revolves around recent trends in the normative analysis of democracy, a subject that we see as particularly salient given contemporary political developments throughout the world. We are therefore interested, without giving an exhaustive list, in papers covering topics such as:

• Normative analyses of the rise and success of anti-establishment parties and the effects of these trends on democratic practice;
• Partisan polarization, alienation, political apathy and other political phenomena which can have negative a impact on democracies;
• Democratization, democratic backsliding, and democratic resilience;
• Militant democracy and the role of constitutionalism, judicial review and other accountability mechanisms in preventing autocratization and sustaining democracy;
• Innovative institutional proposals aiming to enhance the quality of representative democracies;
• Ethical puzzles regarding political participation in democracies: moral duties regarding voting, the design of electoral systems, engaging in pro-democracy protests etc.
• Mini-publics, citizens’ assemblies, citizen initiatives, participatory budgeting and other deliberative or direct democratic instruments;
• Justificatory theories of democratic authority, legitimacy, and institutions.