Informality and publicity in political negotiations [Informalität und Öffentlichkeit in politischen Aushandlungsprozessen*]

Abstract

The article explores the emergence of a post-corporatist negotiation democracy based on a diversity of informal public consultation platforms that have been established by governments. Roundtables, expert and ethics commissions, councils, dialog forums and national summits evolved into a wide-ranging system of preliminary political decision-making. Here, experts and representatives of civil society groups have a say in deciding on key issues of politics. This development has occurred in many places and in fields like social policy, energy policy, migration policy, or social integration policy. It seems inappropriate to consider such extra-parliamentary consensus building a ‘post-democratic' symptom of decline. Compared to corporatist bargaining with major producer associations over distributive issues, the consultative structures discussed here are featured by broader participation, post-materialist reform agendas as well as greater transparency and public scrutiny. © 2014, Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden.