Democracy in a globalized world

You see it in many democracies. Just recently in Germany. Too often in Eastern Europe. Hopefully not in the US. Democratic governments that try to cope with global challenges such as the financial crisis, climate change, terrorism. Not much room for maneuver. More often than not directed against the vested interests of the constituencies of the governing parties. Electoral defeat will follow suit. So, whats will happen if party strategists change to demand driven policies? Don't even try to challenge the privileges of their constituents for the greater common good, but will refrain from any sustainable policy? Or, from another perspective, is it really possible to "better communicate" reform policies? If the individual citizen is not prepared to give up privileges, a policy designed to benefit the greater good will eventually fail. So political parties have a lot of homework to do. But the democratic sovereign also has to come out of his corner and start to particpate in policy discourse again. A fundamental misunderstanding complicates this: there is a widespread belief in a priori "true" and beneficial-for-all solutions. This misconceives the nature of politics: any policy produces winners and loosers. To drive an agenda means mobilizing a coalition of interests, and prevail over an opposing coalition of interests. Without such political will and capacity, no policy, no matter how universally beneficial, will be put forward.