DEMOCRACIA Y DESCONFIANZA

Abstract

In recent decades, political scientists have increasingly turned their attention towards the erosion of citizens’ confidence in their democratic leaders and institutions. But while citizens may be increasingly skeptical of ballot boxes, they have not become merely passive citizens; for, we are witness to increasing street demonstrations, mobilization on the internet, and other forms of active contestation. In order to understand the contemporary Janus-faced citizen, the article suggests the mechanisms used to institutionalize public confidence and the social expression of distrust as two distinct spheres and moments in the history of democracy. Electoral representation is consonant with the first dimension and is the form most often studied, while the second has never been systematically explored. The article uncovers such a dimension by proposing a history and theory of the structural role of distrust in democracy. This shift in perspective offers an introduction into the world of «counter- democracy» by analyzing a series of practices —surveillance, prevention, and judgment— and suggesting that is through these practices that society may exert pressure and correction.