Removing obstacles, assembling democracies

As the assemblage approach attracts growing attention as an alternative analytical framework to the systemic understanding of democracy, several differences between the two approaches are emerging. In this paper, I focus on the logics that drive democratization. In particular, in contrast with systemic approaches that highlight problem-based or capacity building dynamics, I introduce a logic centered on facing and removing obstacles. This logic is usually understood as an institutional mandate. Instead, drawing from examples from several countries, I discuss it as an everyday mode of action key to drive democratization.