« L’idée de démocratie transnationale »
Résumé
The idea of a transnational democracy is central to contemporary political theory. It is the response to the challenge posed by globalization. However, the idea is quite complex. It refers to a theoretical field, an object of debate, rather than to a definite concept. This chapter tries to clarify the debate by analyzing the notion of ‘transnationality’ in contrast with the ideal-type of the nation-state. With this in mind, different viewpoints on transnational
democracy are distinguished, depending on whether preference is given to interstate cooperation or to civil society activism. Three paradigms of transnational democracy and their respective limits are examined with respect to the conflict between state and civil society. Finally, the idea of transnational democracy is considered in relation to its cultural preconditions.