postpolitics
Postpolitics denotes a condition in which fundamental political disagreements are deemphasized or depoliticized, replaced by technocratic management, technocratic expertise, and market-oriented arrangements. In postpolitical regimes, public policy is framed as neutral problem-solving or managerial efficiency rather than contested moral or normative choices. Critics argue this yields consensus without genuine democratic opposition, and legitimates existing power structures rather than challenging them.
The term gained prominence in late 20th and early 21st-century political theory and sociology. Peter Mair argued
Key features include depoliticization of policy choices as technical or administrative matters; the expansion of technocratic
Critics argue postpolitics erodes democratic accountability by elevating technocratic truths over political contestation, builds legitimacy through
In practice, postpolitics tendencies are discussed in analyses of European governance, climate policy, and austerity politics,