Stuttgart 21 - krise oder repolitisierung der repräsentativen demokratie?

Abstract

For many observers the fierce conflict concerning the infrastructure project "Stuttgart 21" indicates a crisis of representative democracy. Questioning common explanations of the conflict's escalation, the article develops the thesis that the present weakness in legitimating representative democracy should be explained as a result of severe deficits in its often overlooked configurative function. The latter consists in transforming differences and contradictions within society into political alternatives. More specifically the article states that the widespread discontent with representative democracy in Germany results from a contrary movement between the de-politicization of party competition on the one hand, and, stemming from civil society, a politicization of technical and infrastructural projects on the other.