麻豆约拍

Is Politics Dead?

Philip Dodd and guests discuss whether the pursuit of economic stability is downgrading democracy.

The inexorable shift in economic power from West to East is mapped by Cassandras and cheerleaders alike but what is the likely impact on international politics?

As Europe struggles to manage the current financial crisis we are seeing un-elected technocrats replace populist leaders and ratings agencies seemingly wielding increasing power. Is this a necessary and temporary intervention of efficiency or are we witnessing a permanent recalibration of Western politics? Is Western Liberal Democracy as we know it a peculiar blip of the twentieth century fed by abundance and now being shooed off by scarcity?

Paola Subacchi is Research Director, International Economics at Chatham House.

Kenneth Minogue Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics.

Alex Callinicos is Professor of European Studies at Kings College London.

Geoff Mulgan was the Chief Executive of the Young Foundation until May 2011 and is now the Chief Executive of NESTA (National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts).