This chapter examines why some central claims of the theory of communicative action have become increasingly difficult to sustain since 2008. The argument unfolds in five steps: (1) It shows that most credible post-WWII democratic statehood theories must supplement the rule of law and the division of powers with a third, informal, yet crucial, dimension. (2) The synthesis of political and sociological modernity offers a promising way to conceptualise the evolving relationship between these three dimensions. (3) The theory of communicative action aptly captured this relation from its inception in 1981 until around 2008. (4) However, the rise of authoritarian populism, the 2008 financial crisis, and recent US elections raise questions about the stability of this synthesis. Habermas himself expresses doubts in A New Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere (2022). (5) Surprisingly, the ideas of Hermann Heller and Wolfgang Abendroth offer fresh perspectives on democratic statehood today.