M. Pekin is the author of the new book Breaking Democracy's Chains: Freeing and Fortifying Democracy Against Hidden Capture. He is also an entrepreneur.
Q: What inspired you to write Breaking Democracy’s Chains?
A: Studying political economy and participating in the political process led me to question whether democracies in the UK and the USA genuinely reflect the public will.
The Iraq War was a turning point: seeing a left Labour government in the UK align with a right-wing Republican administration in the USA, while millions protested against the war only to be ignored, exposed how artificial the left-right divide had become and how major decisions were made without accountability.
Since then, observing mass surveillance, bank bailouts followed by austerity for ordinary people, and seemingly endless wars has convinced me that the core problem lies with party-based democracy itself.
Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: The title emerged after the book was written. I argue that democracy itself is not broken, but has been captured by a ruling elite and presented to the public as freedom and popular will, while in reality it is tightly managed through party structures that limit genuine choice and accountability.
"Breaking Democracy’s Chains" reflects the central argument of the book: that democracy has been constrained and cannot function as it is meant to unless those constraints are confronted and removed.
Q: Does your book apply to all democracies or to some in particular?
A: The book speaks to a global condition, not a single country. Its examples are drawn from many different political systems, ranging from established Western democracies such as the United States and the United Kingdom to externally influenced and less developed states such as Venezuela and Ukraine.
Any system that relies on political parties competing in periodic elections is vulnerable to capture, whether by domestic elites or through external influence. The argument is that these systems require an upgrade to a no-party model of democracy in order to restore genuine representation and accountability.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: I hope readers come to see that what is presented to us as democracy is not the real thing. The book argues that only citizens can upgrade democracy through their own actions by withdrawing legitimacy from party politics, choosing not to vote for any party, and instead voting for independent candidates who are not bound to party identities or political labels.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m expanding the ideas in the book into more practical and institutional thinking, particularly around no-party democratic models. This includes exploring how governance, accountability, and representation could function without traditional party structures. I’m also engaging more in public discussion around these themes.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: This book is not a manifesto or a call for revolution. It argues that political parties are neither necessary for democracy to function nor effective representatives of the public, despite what they claim. The book examines who really holds power, how decisions are made, and whose interests parties ultimately serve.
If the book unsettles readers, that is intentional, because meaningful change can only occur when people unite around shared principles rather than demonising and blaming one another.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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