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The Politics of Non‐Existence
[journal article]
Abstract This article argues that the representation of future generations is likely to remain inadequate because of the lack of accountability mechanisms characteristic of representative relations among contemporaries. Two problems pertaining to the representation of future generations and their interests a... view more
This article argues that the representation of future generations is likely to remain inadequate because of the lack of accountability mechanisms characteristic of representative relations among contemporaries. Two problems pertaining to the representation of future generations and their interests are distinguished, namely misrepresentation and negligence. Misrepresentation refers to ill-informed, biased, and purposive interpretations regarding the interests of future generations, whereas negligence involves future interests not being properly considered in policymaking. While these two problems are often intertwined, misrepresentation is a problem of epistemic and normative judgments, whereas negligence is a motivational problem. The interests of future generations are especially likely to be neglected in cases of so-called intergenerational conflict, that is, situations of welfare tradeoffs between present and future generations. Inclusive democratic deliberation is a remedy for misrepresentation, but its capacity to address negligence may be more limited. Finally, the article remarks on the role of future-regarding deliberation in representative democratic systems.... view less
Keywords
responsibility; deliberation; Intergenerational relations; representation; democracy; political system; governance; conflict
Classification
Basic Research, General Concepts and History of Political Science
Free Keywords
accountability; future generations; institutional design; intergenerational conflicts
Document language
English
Publication Year
2024
Journal
Politics and Governance, 12 (2024)
Issue topic
Considering Future Generations in Democratic Governance
ISSN
2183-2463
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed