Midcentury Modern: The Emergence of Stakeholders in Democratic Practice

Since the 1960s, “the stakeholder,” or affected party, has emerged as a novel democratic subject whose participation in varied institutional sites—from universities to government agencies, corporate boardrooms international organizations—is seen necessary for management of complex problems. However, few specifically attend stakeholder distinct political and consider its implications practice. This paper presents genealogy stakeholder, documenting appearance managerialism US public administration showing how racial mobilization, rapid technological progress, rationality systems thinking provided conditions possibility emergence. Though orienting democracy around stakeholders permits opportunities life, I argue that this is predicated on circumscribed form participatory politics erodes habits discovering common good, erases distinctions between individuals bodies, amplifies problem expertise.