Against Political Compromise: Sustaining Democratic Debate

Political compromise is emerging as a preferred solution for numerous apparently intractable problems. Many have pointed to the rising degree of political polarisation around issues such as climate change, immigration and abortion. These are ‘wicked problems’ that are clearly not conducive to any sort of political consensus. The groups and individuals who are party to these issues disagree, often both fully and fiercely. As an alternative, political compromise seemingly offers a way of respecting difference while simultaneously generating a decision upon which policy can move forward. But proponents of political compromise should also acknowledge its significant weaknesses and dangers. Invoking recent examples from various policy areas to illustrate their claims, the authors assert that compromise can disguise inequality, reduce plurality and heighten uncertainty. In short, compromise can weaken democracy and must not be seen as some sort of political panacea.

This concise, accessible text offers a strong and provocative argument that provides a crucial counterpoint to the promise of compromise. It should prove of interest to students and scholars interested in compromise and consensus as well as democratic governance, social inequality, political apathy and environmental politics.

Alexander Ruser is currently a senior researcher. He holds a PhD in Sociology from the Max-Weber-Institute of Sociology at Heidelberg University and was a Dahrendorf Fellow at the Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, and the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is currently researching the impact of ‘expert knowledge’ in public deliberation and political decision-making in the current Euro-Crisis. Alexander is an active member of an international research network on social philosophy of science coordinated by the Russian Academy of Science.

Amanda Machin is a postdoctoral researcher at Zeppelin University, Germany. She holds a PhD in Political Theory from the University of Westminster, London, and previously held a research fellowship at the Institute of Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam. She is currently researching the interrelationship of climate change, citizenship, democracy and identity. Her books are Nations and Democracy: New Theoretical Perspectives (Routledge, 2015) and Negotiating Climate Change: Radical Democracy and the Illusion of Consensus.