Nation‐state, international regulation and the question of democracy

The crisis of global Fordism, the internationalization of capital, and the demise of national and international political regulation necessitates a thorough revision of conventional political concepts. These developments call in question the historical link between nation‐state, democracy and human rights. While the nation‐state is not disappearing, its significance is changing. It is becoming more and more difficult to secure democracy in a nation‐state framework despite the lack of an alternative institutional terrain. This political dilemma can be overcome only if democratic political processes can be contextually and procedurally de‐linked from the state system on both the national and international level.