Governance networks as a frame for inter-demoi participation and deliberation

By focusing exclusively on the contributions of political participation and deliberation to the enhancement of democratic regulation within a unitary democratic unit-that is, a demos-traditional liberal theories of democracy overlook the democratic value of political participation and deliberation between demoi. The need to find ways to increase the democratic quality of inter-demoi interaction is growing rapidly due to the emergence of a pluricentric political system in which cross-demoi decision-making is more the rule than the exception. There is an urgent call for new theories of democracy able to identify standards for institutional setups that facilitate inter-demoi participation and deliberation. Governance networks represent a part of the challenge posed by the emerging pluricentric system of governance. They may be a central means to cope with the new call for democratic regulation across demoi because they represent a means by which to establish weak ties of control and communality between the strong ties that exist within the individual demoi.