Small states and democracy – why deliberation is the problem

An age-old argument about democracy is that it is best suited for polities with small populations. This bias is reflected in the scholarly literature and in comparative indices that measure varieties of democracy. However, based on in-depth case studies of small island states, we argue that small population size conditions political interaction in ways that may generate distinct democratic challenges. In contrast to much of the literature, we find that deliberative aspects of democracy are particularly constrained, as close social ties can foster patronage, self-censorship, and informal practices that shape political behaviour.