Private government in public services? Social support as a site of democratic struggle

In this paper, I attempt to clarify what the “all affected principle” (Fung and Gray, 2024) might mean in social services, why social services continue to be a site of democratic struggle and why it matters in the context of contemporary European democracies. To do this, I first sketch out a theoretical framework, drawing on political theory and social philosophy (Part 1), and particularly Elizabeth Anderson's concepts of 'everyday democracy' and 'private government'. I then explain what I mean by social services, briefly retracing their history and situating their role in contemporary European societies (Part 2). Having set the scene, I make the case that social services are not only spaces of human connection, interaction and support, but also one of power asymmetries and social hierarchies, making them an important site of democratic struggle (Part 3). I end by offering possible ways to apply the all-affected principle in social services to extend democracy to this space (Part 4).