According to the Basic Law, political parties participate in the formation of political will, even though other political associations also contribute to this process as democratic intermediaries. Therefore, constitutional law should address the deficits of political parties and make better use of the democratic potential of political associations.

The Basic Law assigns political parties the democratic task of participating in the formation of political will. Other political associations are not mentioned. In light of widespread dissatisfaction with parties, this exclusive focus appears outdated: Why should parties alone, according to the Basic Law, serve as democratic intermediaries that simplify political will formation? Would it not be more appropriate today to open this role to other political associations as well? Jan Keesen critically examines this conception of the Basic Law. He shows that in a highly individualized society, parties are no longer suited to gather citizens' substantive interests and translate them into political decisions. Political associations could assume this role, yet they are ignored by the Basic Law. This reading is not inevitable: both organizational forms provide supportive functions in the formation of political will as democratic intermediaries. They fulfil similar tasks, albeit in different ways. Building on this, Jan Keesen proposes a revised interpretation of the constitutional role of parties and political associations-one that addresses the functional deficits of parties and unlocks the democratic potential of more direct involvement of political associations.

Autorentext
Born in 1995; studied law and economics at EBS University for Business and Law, Wiesbaden, and at Queen's University School of Law, Kingston (Ontario); 2018 First Law Examination; 2019 M.A. Economics; 2018-22 Research assistant at the Chair of Public Law, Empirical Legal Research and Law and Economics at EBS University for Business and Law; 2021 Visiting Doctoral Researcher at NYU School of Law, New York City; 2022-24 Legal clerkship at the Regional Court of Wiesbaden; 2024 Second State Examination in Law; 2025 Doctorate; Lawyer in Cologne.

Inhalt

1. Kapitel: Einführung
§ 1 Forschungsprogramm und Lesehinweise - § 2 Motivation - § 3 Methodik
2. Kapitel: Demokratie und politische Willensbildung
§ 4 Demokratie als Herrschaft der Bürger und ihrer Interessen - § 5 Politische Willensbildung als Demokratieprozess
3. Kapitel: Parteien und politische Vereinigungen als demokratische Intermediäre
§ 6 Was sind demokratische Intermediäre? - § 7 Funktionen und organisatorische Charakteristika - § 8 Parteien als demokratische Intermediäre - § 9 Politische Vereinigungen als demokratische Intermediäre - § 10 Das Verfassungsrecht der demokratischen Intermediäre
4. Kapitel: Neubestimmung der verfassungsrechtlichen Aufgabe demokratischer Intermediäre
§ 11 Demokratische Intermediäre im Realitätscheck": Überforderung und Siegeszug - § 12 Demokratische Intermediäre in der Gesellschaft der Singularitäten - § 13 Leitlinien eines neuen Verfassungsverständnisses