The Bureaucracy-Democracy Paradox Revisited: A Challenge to Democracy in Turbulent Times.

This chapter reviews current epistemological knowledge about bureaucracy and democracy and develops the argument for a <italic>paradox</italic> that characterizes their interaction. We will present conceptual approaches to the understanding of bureaucracy and democracy, explain the paradox, and lead the reader through the theoretical thinking that allows the transformation of our ideas into an empirical model that can be tested. An interdisciplinary approach will be used to describe and explain the paradox that has evolved between democracy and bureaucracy in the face of the rapid changes in, risks to, and turbulent events in democracies in the twenty-first century. We defend an eclectic and integrative view that applies knowledge not only from political science or public administration, but also from the fields of sociology, economics, law, communication, management, business, and other disciplines. We believe that this is an effective approach and the vision necessary for building effective governability and modern public management in the democracies of our time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]