Representative democracy is in a serious crisis. In light of economization and privatistic tendencies, the belief in the political shaping of society is fading. Various proposals are being discussed: future politics should be deliberative, transparent, "liquid," and less state-centered. But how promising are these therapies? The authors take a comprehensive look and show that not only technocracy and neoliberal consensus, but also many of the proposed counter-recipes undermine the political nature of politics.