1951 – 2019
David Held (1951–2019) was a British political theorist and professor at the London School of Economics and Durham University, best known for developing the theory of cosmopolitan democracy. He argued that democratic principles must be extended beyond the nation-state to govern transnational institutions and global governance structures. His work synthesized democratic theory with globalization studies to address the accountability deficits of international organizations.
Developed the theory of cosmopolitan democracy, extending democratic norms to global governance
Authored 'Models of Democracy' (1987), a landmark survey of democratic theory
Co-authored 'Global Transformations' (1999), a foundational text in globalization studies
Argued for democratic reform of international institutions such as the UN and WTO
Edited the influential journal 'Global Policy' and shaped the field of global governance studies