Democratie als ge(s)laagd samenspel?

Democracy: a successful multi-layered interplay? Democratic erosion not only affects new democracies, but also older, more established, consolidated democracies. In this article we build on an in-depth study about democratic erosion in the Netherlands to discuss what democratic erosion is and what the global trends are. To understand democratic erosion it is necessary to pay attention to both the functioning of representative democracy as well as enacted democracy. This stresses the need to focus on democratic institutions, democratic norms and democratic behaviour. Enacting democracy requires forms of participation within social contexts, democratic spaces in neighborhoods, communities, institutions, associations, non-elected government institutions and various (societal) organizations. Bringing in these settings and organizations reveals the interdependency of all actors involved and their rolls and functions in the multi-layered interplay that is democracy. Democracy is and always will be work in progress; and a sustainable democracy thus requires constant maintenance.