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Inserting footnotes is important on Wikipedia Minister Slob van Onderwijs maakt zich ‘grote zorgen’ en kondigt aan versneld maatregelen te nemen.

Proposed improvements for the page 'Radical Democracy' : - First of all, the most recent source is from 2005. Since this dates back to already 14 years ago the information stated at the sub-heading ¨re-interpretations¨ is a bit outdated. New (and relevant) intepretations have emerged and are thus important to include in the sub-heading. After all, without these new interpretations that emerged along with modern phenomena the page does not give an complete overview of the concept.

- Second, the sub-heading ¨challenges¨ is based on only one source and is thus not fully inclusive and one-sided. This sub-heading should be amended by adding new and more criticisms on the theory.

- Third, the sub-heading ¨theorists¨ refers only to the names of the theorist, but does not give any explanation why these theorists are associated with the theory of radical democracy. Also, more important theorists are associated with radical democracy, like Habermas and Foucault for example.

- Lastly, the existence of a distinction between post-marxist theory and radical democracy is not made clear in this article. The sentence ¨In other contexts, radical democracy is a term used to refer to the post-Marxist perspectives of Italian radicalism—especially Paolo Virno.¨ is vague and should therefore be amended and elaborated.

Criticism on the agonistic perspective

Laclau and Mouffe have argued for radical democracy, where different opinions and worldviews are not opressed by the search for consensus in liberal and deliberative democracy. As this agonistic perspective has been most influencial in academic literature, it has been subject to most criticisms on the idea of radical democracy. Brockelman for example argues that the theory of radical democracy is an utopian idea he radical democratic imaginary: Žižek versus Laclau and Mouffe on vestigial utopia. |journal=Philosophy & Social Criticism |date=2003 |volume=29 |page=185 |pages=183–208 |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0191453703029002144 |accessdate=16 May 2019}}</ref>. Political theory, he argues, should not be used as offering a vision of a desirable society. In the same vein, it is argued that radical democracy might be usefull at the local level, but does not offer a realistic perception of decision-making on the national level . For example, people might know what they want to see changing in their town and feel the urge to participate in the decision-making process of future local policy. Developing an opinion about issues at the local level often does not require specific skills or education. Deliberation in order to combat the problem of groupthink, in which the view of the majority dominates over the view of the minority, can be usefull in this setting. However, people might not be skilled enough or willing to decide about national or international problems. A radical democracy approach for overcomming the flaws of democracy is, it is argued, not suitable for levels higher than the local one.

Radical democracy and the internet

With the rise of the internet in the years after the development of various strands of radical democracy theory, the relationship between the internet and the theory has been increasingly focussed upon. The internet is regarded as an important aspect of radical democracy, as it provides a means for communication which is central to every approach to the theory.

The internet is believed to reinforce both the theory of radical democracy and the actual possibility of radical democracy through three distinct ways:

1. The internet provides a platform for further discussion about radical democracy, thus contributing to the theory's development;

2. The internet allows new political communities and democratic cultures to emerge, that challenge the existing political ideas;

3. The internet strengthens the voice of minority groups.

This last point refers to the concept of a radical public sphere where voice in the political debate is given to otherwise oppressed or marginalized groups . Approached from the radical democracy theory, the expression of such views on the internet can be understood as online activism. In current liberal representative democracies, certain voices and interests are always favoured above others. Through online activism, excluded opinions and views can still be articulated. In this way, activists contribute to the ideal of a heterogeneity of positions. However, the digital age does not necessarily contribute to the notion of radical democracy. Social media platforms posess the opportunity of shutting down certain, often radical, voices. This is counterproductive to radical democracy .

Because of radical democracy's focus on difference, and challenging oppressive power relations, it has been seen as conducive to post-colonial theory and decolonization. However, the concept of radical democracy is seen in some circles as colonial in nature due to its reliance on a western notion of democracy.[20] It is argued that liberal democracy is viewed by the West as the only legitimate form of governance . Spreading liberal democracy through international law as a condition for recognition of and trade with the West, is a form of new, informal imperialism. Radical democracy theory is criticized for being situated in this kind of Western modernity perspective. In their attempt of prescribing an ideal society, radical democracy theorists do not create a new kind, but rather reinvent the Western dominant tradition of liberal democracy. Also, radical democracy challenges consensus decision-making processes which are essential to many indigenous governing practices.[20]

Contemporary mass movements committed to radical democracy

• The EZLN – Zapatista Army of National Liberation in Mexico: a far-left militant and political group. Their ideology is based on their aspiration to execute politics in a bottom-up, rather than top-down way . The group has presented several laws in 1994, including laws to advance women's position in the country .
• The MST – Landless Workers' Movement in Brazil: a social movement that aims at land reform to make land ownership more accessible for the poor. It seeks to achieve this goal through combatting social issues such as racism, sexism and skewed income distributions .
• The Piqueteros – Unemployed Workers Movement in Argentina.
• The Abahlali baseMjondolo – shack dwellers' movement in South Africa.
• The Socialist Party USA this party was founded in 1973. It claims to be oppossed to all forms of oppression, and seeks to create a "non-racist, classless, feminist and socialist society" .
• JungdemokratInnen/Junge Linke (translated Young Democrats/Young Left,JD/JL) - a left-wing political youth organization in Germany and the former youth wing of a liberal party called FDP.
• Radical Democracy Party (United States) - was an abolitionist and anti-Confederate political party in the United States.
• Radical Democracy Party (Chile) - chilean Centre-right political party created in 1969.