COORDINATION: Ana Raquel Matos and Andrés Spognardi

SUBJECT MATTER | OBJECTIVES | AREAS OF RESEARCH

SUBJECT MATTER

The PhD in Democracy in the 21st Century explores the two-way relationship between political institutions and contemporary society. It goes beyond studying what democracies are and how they function—it encourages critical thinking about why they work the way they do and how they can be improved.

Democracies today are at a crossroads, shaped by the interaction of two major forces. On the one hand, deep socio-economic changes in recent decades have shaken the foundations that supported democracies in the 20th century. Globalization, with its trade and migration flows, has fueled cultural tensions that are reshaping society. Social media and artificial intelligence are changing the way people connect with each other and with political institutions. The climate crisis and global warming are exposing the limits of a growth model based on unchecked resource exploitation, making it harder to sustain social well-being. Meanwhile, rising economic and social inequalities are exacerbating tensions, deepening public dissatisfaction, and intensifying the crisis of political representation.

At the same time, counterforces—both from the top down and the bottom up—are pushing for change, rethinking democracy’s foundations and how it operates. Decentralizing power gives local authorities greater responsibilities and brings them closer to citizens. New spaces for public participation in policymaking are emerging. Collective action and grassroots movements are redefining what it means to be “political”. Gender struggles and the growing recognition of collective resource management (commoning) are expanding traditional ideas of citizenship. The Global South is no longer just a recipient of democratic models from the North - it is actively shaping them.

While the challenges to democracy are serious, so are the efforts to renew, expand, and strengthen it. This PhD program takes an interdisciplinary approach to studying the conflicting forces at play in this critical moment. Over three semesters of coursework, students gain both theoretical and methodological training. Political science seminars cover how political systems work and evolve in different contexts. Political sociology seminars examine how social forces shape democracy today. Methodology seminars provide advanced training in qualitative and mixed research methods, enabling students to produce high-quality academic work and apply their findings to real-world problem-solving.
 

OBJECTIVES

1. To understand the functioning and evolution of the democratic system at the local, national, and supranational levels.
2. To analyze the impact of major socio-economic transformations on the institutions and practices of contemporary democracies.
3. To promote theoretical and applied research on new forms of citizen participation and democratic governance.

MAIN AREAS OF RESEARCH 

The PhD program is structured around four key research areas:

Participatory Governance, Local Power, and Democratic Innovation
This area examines innovative practices that strengthen democracy by engaging citizens in territorial and budgetary planning, as well as in public policy decisions. It highlights democratic innovations at the local, regional, and national levels, as well as efforts to democratize knowledge by bridging citizen expertise with scientific and technological domains. Another key focus is technopolitics, which explores how digital technologies shape and are shaped by political dynamics—ranging from online activism to digital governance—revealing the complex interplay between the virtual world and political power.

Political Ecology
This research area investigates the links between the global ecological crisis, social equity, and democratic governance, emphasizing both the challenges and opportunities for a just ecological transition. It focuses on “ecologies of repair,” commons, and commoning as democratic alternatives to green capitalism. It also examines climate activism and eco-citizenship as forces for political and social transformation, reinforcing the connections between democracy, civic participation, and sustainability.

Social Movements and Collective Action
This area expands the concept of “the political” by analyzing how emerging social movements transform issues that are not traditionally considered political into central topics of public debate and collective action. It examines how these movements bring attention to social, economic, and cultural struggles, reshaping public discourse and influencing institutional decision-making. The approach recognizes that politics is not limited to formal institutions but is also embedded in everyday practices, as organized groups challenge dominant narratives, redefine social norms, and contest power structures in pursuit of greater equity and justice.

Citizenship, Equality, and Diversity
This research area explores various theoretical approaches to citizenship, recognizing it as a multidimensional concept that goes beyond the mere protection of civil and political rights. It considers citizenship as encompassing identity recognition (cultural, gender, and beyond), social and economic inclusion, and the ability to actively participate in decisions that shape people’s lives. Particular emphasis is placed on debates surrounding ethnic-racial diversity and equality, addressing issues such as multiculturalism, interculturalism, racism, eurocentrism, secularism, and islamophobia.