The Politics of the Governed

Exploring the evolution of popular politics, Partha Chatterjee argues that contemporary political modernity is shaped by mass politics and new governance techniques. While popular sovereignty is widely acknowledged, the emergence of security and welfare technologies has led to governmental structures that manage populations without facilitating genuine democratic engagement. Chatterjee critiques this shift, revealing how democracy has transformed into a system dominated by power, characterized by complex dynamics and implicit rules that challenge traditional notions of governance.