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.
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