The speed limits of democracy: Democratic anchoring of natural resource governance

Abstract

Existing research recognizes the critical role played by interactive governance arenas in local communities hosting extractive industries. Governance theory suggests that the democratic quality of such interactive governance can be ensured by applying a set of criteria that anchor the decentered governance processes in democratically elected institutions. This article adds nuance to this presumption by exploring how rapid growth represents a specific contextual factor. A Nordic municipality hosting a mining project serves as an empirical illustration of how the democratic anchoring is perceived as a detour that the public actors ignore when there are time constraints. In conclusion, the article argues that the democratic quality of the process may be improved if local politicians facilitate a broader inclusion of engaged residents and local organizations in the public discourse about local development.