Politics & Government
How Agonistic Pluralism Reframes Democratic Legitimacy Beyond Consensus
Quick fact
Agonistic pluralism, developed by political theorist Chantal Mouffe, argues that democratic legitimacy comes not from consensus but from the ongoing, institutionalized expression of conflict between rival political positions, treating disagreement as a permanent and valuable feature of democracy.
Why this is interesting
We often think that a healthy democracy is one where people eventually agree. But what if that very ideal is what makes democracy unstable?