A key book about the shortfalls, defects, and contradictions of democracy.

The crisis of democracy essentially stems from an ever-widening separation between two strata of society: the "lower" living their lives, and the "upper" wielding the power are ever more estranged from each other. Mistrust of institutions, unease with representation, record abstention during elections, an increase in individual rights, citizenship in shreds, hatred of freely elected powers... At a time when foreigners and migrants are seen as dangerous to national identity, police violence is on the rise, and authoritarian powers are supported by populist waves, this book implements a new reading of Paul Ricœur’s work to entirely rethink the question of democracy.