Citizen Democracy: what’s in a name?

For many people democracy is just about asking a defined group to choose from a number of options, and the option with the most votes would be selected for implementation. But if we remind ourselves that the purpose of democracy is to share power equitably so that those affected by an important decision can influence that decision, then it is clear that the conditions under which the process of identifying and selecting options is carried out matter greatly.

‘Citizen Democracy’ is the name for any power structure which meets the conditions needed for democratic influence to be distributed and exercised properly. These conditions are:

·      Shared Civic Commitments: without such commitments, people choosing purely on selfish, tribal, sectarian basis would lead to social and political fragmentation.

·      Mutual Respect: without safeguards against stigmatisation and discrimination, some would be held back from effective participation.

·      Engagement Capability: without the capability of understanding the issues, the options put forward, or how to make one’s views count, one would not be able to engage meaningfully.

·      Reliable Information: without reliable sources, exposures of false/misleading information, or deliberative processes to resolve conflicting views, one would lack an objective basis to decide.

·      Equal Participatory Opportunity: without support for equal participation, votes may not count equally in different areas, barriers could be erected against disadvantaged groups, while much greater influence could be handed to those with superior wealth.

·      Public Accountability: without robust accountability arrangements, irresponsible leaders could use corruption, intimidation, and secrecy to go against what people want to happen.

Although many developed countries not under authoritarian rule would describe themselves as ‘democratic’, what they have is a multi-party electoral system, which to varying degrees fall short on many of the six conditions outlined above. When critics complain that democracy can lead to undesirable outcomes, what they are bemoaning is a system which endorses certain political outcomes that go against the interests of the people, because it is not a functioning citizen democracy.

If we want the proto-democratic arrangements that are in place to be developed into a system of citizen democracy that truly leads from people’s thought-through concerns to the most supported public policy outcomes, then we must press for substantial improvements in education, regulation,and organisation to get us much closer to fulfilling the six conditions.

Education needs to do much more to raise critical understanding of, not just political institutions and processes, but how to assess sources of information, deliberate in collective enquiries, navigate the language and procedures of public bodies, and engage in policy development.

Regulation’s priorities would include removing iniquitous barriers that hinder disadvantaged groups from voting, curtailing the influence of wealthy donors, eliminating unfair advantages set up by partisan legislatures, restricting the spreading of malicious misinformation, and penalising those who abuse the power of their office.

Organisational improvements are required in terms of training in inclusive engagement for those in public office, provision of suitable participatory options, support for community development and partnership working, rooting out discrimination, and cultivating shared objectives.

Citizen democracy does not presume all decisions should be made via direct, representative, or deliberative democratic arrangements. It does not set down what kind of majoritarian threshold is to be applied in all cases. What it demands is that power structures affecting people’s lives should enable people to influence in a fair and meaningful way how the power in question is assigned and exercised.

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‘Citizen democracy’ has also be termed ‘civic-communitarian democracy’ or ‘communitarian democracy’. For example, see Time to Save Democracy.

Pathways to Human Connections

History has taught us that only through learning to cooperate do human beings get to improve the chances of their attaining a better quality of life together. It is vital we explore and adapt different forms of structures, rules, customs, and so on, in order to discover what kind of social, economic, and political connections would help us meet the challenges we face more effectively than if we were left to our own devices.

In her book, Journey to Hopeful Futures, Helena Kettleborough sets out a series of pathways to take people forward in developing those connections that would displace despair by hope. It is an impressive and wide-ranging work that brings together reflections on diverse cultures, examples that illustrate a variety of ways to thinking through complex issues, and exposition of an array of techniques that should be applied to personal and group learning.

At one level, this exemplary handbook introduces readers to the many forms of learning that are vital for better connections to be built, and mutual understanding to be enriched. It provides a most accessible guide for anyone interested in finding out more about the significance and utilisation of value-based learning; inter-disciplinary learning; orientation towards problem-solving; participatory engagement; lifelong learning; and action research. Instructively, it treats them, not in silos, but as interwoven strands of a holistic approach – well illustrated (in chapters 7 and 12) by the approach of North West Together We Can, where Kettleborough worked in the 2000s.

At a deeper level, Journey to Hopeful Futures articulates an outlook which is rooted in what may be termed a naturalistic notion of spirituality. For people with whom such a notion resonates, the book acts as a companion in exploring the emotionally charged steps that may be taken towards that spiritual worldview. They would find references that range from the tiniest creatures on earth to the cosmic vastness, from personal experiences to cultural memories, illuminating in helping them see everything in the ‘Sacred Earth and Cosmos’ as connected in a spiritually meaningful way.

However, it should be pointed out that ‘spirituality’ may not always work well as a unifying notion. Some people’ spiritual experience is framed in terms of their relationship with a sentient omnipotent being who cares only for humans (or in some cases, only the ‘chosen ones’). Some people care for others but see that as a matter of being true to their human nature, and not related to anything beyond interpersonal relations. Some people can be persuaded to cooperate through enlightened self-interest but not out of deference to some cosmic ideal. Some people support biodiversity but would not worry too much if disease-carrying mosquitoes were about to become extinct. 

Kettleborough recognises that not everyone relates to a spiritual worldview, and her book encourages readers to create their own journey through exploring creative learning exercises, ongoing individual reflection, and tapping into other resources that are signposted. Importantly, the book’s exposition of participatory learning in its diverse forms shows how people with different worldviews can work together even if they persist with holding onto their own worldviews. People do not have to have a spiritual sense of awe and wonder about the world in order to engage in forms of learning that enable participants to raise their shared understanding and assessment of what can be reliably believed and acted on. With the help of Journey to Hopeful Futures, they will discover much more about how they can in cooperation with others better tackle issues such as the climate emergency, biodiversity loss, and multiple social challenges

It is empirically established that cooperative learning is more dependable than any other approach in problem-solving. And whatever worldviews people hold, they can adopt this approach to learning. Of course, there may well be people who, irrespective of the evidence, insist on invoking groundless assumptions and arguing arbitrarily, but where that is the case, rather than trying to appeal to their sense of spirituality, the focus should be on learning what can be effectively appealed to for them to recognise the need to engage in cooperative problem-solving.

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To find out more about Journey to Hopeful Futures: a handbook, by Helena Kettleborough, (Centre for Connected Practice, 2023), go to: https://c4cp.net/blog/project/journey-to-hopeful-futures-a-handbook/

More on cooperative learning and participatory engagement can be found in ‘Lessons for Tomorrow’s Communities’:  

https://henry-tam.blogspot.com/2021/07/lessons-for-tomorrows-communities.html