Turning away from democracy: Barriers to democratic participation in a university organization

In many countries, universities have historically been unique cases of organizational democracy, with academic communities being represented in internal decision-making. However, in parallel with the more general decline in trust in liberal democracy in the first decades of the twenty-first century, universities entered a period of de-collegialization, de-democratization, and managerialization. In this article, we explore the barriers to democratic participation that academics experience at the level of their university organization. Drawing on a university-wide survey and 53 in-depth interviews conducted at Finland's second-largest university, we analyze challenges to community members’ political efficacy and identify disillusionment, which facilitates de-democratization, as a major issue. By showing how educated professionals turn away from democracy, we contribute to discussions not only of university governance but also of representative democracy more broadly. The results indicate that democratic deficits comprise intertwined shortcomings in experienced political efficacy, trust, and sense of community. The conclusion is that in order to thrive, representative democratic practices require robust political processes.