Norms, Power, and Practice: Critical Enquiries into Democratic Governance in International Discourse

Abstract

This paper critically examines the concept of democratic governance as it has evolved within international discourse, particularly in the fields of international law and political science. It traces the emergence of democratic governance as a norm, entitlement, and, in certain interpretations, a right in the post–Cold War period. The study engages with key scholarly debates on legitimacy, ideology, and functionality, drawing on the works of Thomas Franck, Susan Marks, Fox and Roth, and others. It interrogates the procedural emphasis on electoral democracy and the privileging of liberal democracy as a universal model, highlighting the limitations and contradictions of such approaches. The paper further explores how international institutions, especially the United Nations, have institutionalised democratic governance through development, peacebuilding, and state-building initiatives. By examining alternative democratic experiences and case studies from developing countries, the paper challenges the universalist assumptions of Western liberal democracy and argues for a contextual, functional, and plural understanding of democratic governance shaped by local histories, social structures, and state capacities.