A REDIRECT Workshop was held at the University of Exeter exploring the current state of liberal and representative democracy and possible alternatives to it. The workshop, titled The Trouble with Liberal Democracy: The Current State of Representative Democracy and Possible Alternatives, brought together scholars to reflect on contemporary democratic tensions and on competing critiques and reimaginings of representative politics.
Chaired by Alex Prichard (Exeter) and introduced by Dario Castiglione (Exeter), the event opened with a framing discussion on the challenges facing liberal democracy today. The workshop then featured three presentations. Ruth Kinna (Loughborough) revisited Rose Pesotta’s anarchist critique of representative government, offering a historically grounded reflection on anti-parliamentary democratic thought. Stuart White (Oxford) followed with a presentation on republican politics and democratic Marxism, examining alternative democratic traditions and their relevance for current political debates. Clementina Gentile Fusillo (UCL) concluded the panel sessions with a presentation on the hidden demands of liberal democracy, focusing on what it means to “see like a representative” and the often-overlooked expectations embedded in representative institutions.
The event ended with a general discussion that brought the different strands of the workshop into dialogue, highlighting the value of historical, theoretical, and critical perspectives for understanding the present difficulties of representative democracy. Overall, the workshop provided a valuable forum for exchange within the REDIRECT network on the conceptual foundations, limits, and possible futures of democratic representation.
Date: 18 March 2026
Location: Exeter, United Kingdom
Partner: University of Exeter (UNEXE)
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