The Delegative Imperative and the Paradigm of Direct Participation: an Evaluation of Contemporary Governance and Fiscal Sustainability
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT This study provides a comprehensive critique of representative political structures by establishing that representation functions strictly as a delegative system of proxy authority rather than a genuine form of democratic governance. By examining recent international literature published across political theory, urban planning, and public economics in 2026, this paper demonstrates how delegative intermediaries systematically produce civic alienation, institutional bias, and fiscal inefficiency. Furthermore, this work establishes a clear conceptual distinction between conventional "participation"—which is routinely co-opted within delegative political architectures to legitimise proxy authority—and true direct participation, which forms the bedrock of pure democracy. Through a comparative evaluation of governance dynamics and fiscal sustainability, this paper illustrates why the Direct Participatory System offers the only structurally coherent, ethically sound, and economically viable alternative for contemporary society.
Author: Sergio Pérez-Fernandez, Servio
Institution: Hospital Universitario de Canarias
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7213756956
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