Meritocratic democracy: A cross-cultural political theory

This book offers a new theory of democracy that advances debates on democracy and political meritocracy by synthesizing the best of contemporary Western democratic theory and Confucian political theory. The general questions that this book poses, and attempts to answer, are: can findings in Western democratic theories be used to address the Confucian meritocrats' concern for the ability of democracy to produce desirable outcomes? What is the relationship of political leaders with democracy? Can insights from Confucian political theory be used to reconceptualize how political parties in democratic societies ensure that their leaders use their power for common political goals? The answer to these questions is the theory of democracy defended in this book: meritocratic democracy. Meritocratic democracy comprises three main propositions: (a) Democratic rule is epistemically superior to meritocratic forms of government; (b) Contemporary democracies need public-spirited political leaders; (c) A system of partisan juries that preselect the candidates running for the party leadership can bring about public-spirited leadership. Meritocratic democracy opens a path for a global debate on democratic theory by exemplifying the inherent capacity of political theorization to transcend boundaries between various philosophical standpoints, and highlighting its potential for constructive reciprocal contestation. © Elena Ziliotti 2024.