This volume contains a collection of the revised and expanded contributions to a lecture series at the Carl Friedrich von Siemens Foundation in Munich, which attracted quite a bit of attention. Respected scientists and leading intellectuals were invited to analyze the state of representative democracy in Europe and present concrete proposals for reform. They examine questions such as how decisive democracies are and what makes American democracy so extraordinary. They also engage with the global dimensions of democracy and look back on the “Arab Spring” with an eye towards the future. The contributors include Sabino Cassese, Dan Diner, Horst Dreier, Egon Flaig, Friedrich Wilhelm Graf, Heinrich Meier, Herfried Münkler, Dietrich Murswiek, Thomas L. Pangle and Peter Sloterdijk.