In Search of the Relationship Between Democracy and Populism from a Multidimensional Perspective. Some Paths: Accountability, Deliberation and Co-governance

The aim of this chapter is not to work on a better definition of populism, although it is a complex term that needs to be explored in depth, but to use the approach of political science to focus on the qualitative features of democratic systems, in order to review the relationship between populism and contemporary democracy. Is it possible to interpret populism as an expression and vector of transformation of the representative model of democracy? And if so, with what consequences? We will rely on some international reports that monitor and evaluate the quality of democratic systems and introduce to a possible connection between the populist phenomenon and the decline of some established indicators of the democratic framework in recent years. What we are asking is whether the fundamental questions that populism poses to contemporary democracies, and in particular to representation, leadership and citizenship, can contribute to understanding some of the main criticalities of current democratic structures, in terms of accountability, deliberation and co-governance. Even within the framework of an urgent updating of the often exhausted democratic forms, the way forward seems to be that of strengthening social ties. There are no formal solutions and abstract procedures that can replace the power of social cohesion that political action must prioritise.