The Substance in Liberal Democracy: A Critical Defence of Liberal Proceduralism

This incisive book develops a distinctive understanding of liberal democracy as ideologically open proceduralism. Daryl Glaser provides a novel framework for rendering democracy more substantive and defending it against its enemies without constricting ideological openness.

Examining whether democracy properly inscribes conceptions of goodness and justice, Glaser identifies substantivism as a distinctive, but sometimes invisible, enemy of liberal democracy. He proposes a unique theorization of the role of notions of form, procedure and substance in democratic theory, introducing a taxonomy of democratic substances and modes of substantiation. Seeking clarification on the relationship between liberalism and democracy, and between ideological projects and democracy, the book explores how to build a substantive democracy which maintains the baseline democratic requirement of free ideological choice expressed by political equals.

The Substance in Liberal Democracy is an essential resource for scholars and students of public policy, political theory and international relations. Policymakers and campaigners advocating for democratic reform will similarly benefit from its groundbreaking insights and practical recommendations.

Daryl Glaser, Professor, Department of Political Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa