The democratic political process is broken

Context:

Concerns about the dysfunctionality of the democratic political process in India, characterized by a lack of constructive collaboration and consensus-building, have gained attention.

Challenges in Democratic Politics:

• Erosion of Collaborative Platforms: Traditional sites of consensus-building like public discourse, civil society, and political parties hinder constructive collaboration, impeding the democratic process.
• Institutional Integrity vs. Political Process: Institutions of the state lack the mandate to facilitate collective action or propose alternatives, focusing instead on procedural integrity.
• Inability to Move Beyond Outrage: Despite deep public resonance on certain issues, the polity remains stuck in outrage, protest, or resignation, highlighting the inability to collaborate effectively.

Pathologies Affecting Democratic Processes:

• Dysfunctional Public Discourse: Institutional media's loss of credibility, the rise of social media-driven virality, and hyper-partisanship hinder constructive dialogue and consensus-building.
• Dependent Civil Society: Civil society's reliance on a permissive state and normative purity over representativeness limit its ability to reconcile multiple viewpoints.
• Pathological Nature of Political Parties: Internal focus, lack of policy agenda extrapolation by elected representatives, and preoccupation with party dynamics hinder deliberation and collaboration.