Democratic innovation for change
The world faces social, political, economic and ecological crises, and there is doubt that democratic governance can cope. Democracies rely on a narrow set of institutions and processes anchored in dominant forms of political organisation and imagination. Power inequalities sustain the (re)productio...
| Autores: | , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona |
| Repositorio: | Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ddd.uab.cat:312345 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://ddd.uab.cat/record/312345 https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1177/02633957251349635 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Democratic innovation Participatory democracy Deliberative democracy Social change Capacity |
| Sumario: | The world faces social, political, economic and ecological crises, and there is doubt that democratic governance can cope. Democracies rely on a narrow set of institutions and processes anchored in dominant forms of political organisation and imagination. Power inequalities sustain the (re)production of current ills in democratic life. In this context, what does the field of democratic innovation offer to the task of sociopolitical reimagining and change? The field has advanced since the turn of the century, building foundations for democratic renewal. It draws from various traditions of democracy, including participatory and deliberative streams. But there is concern that a non-critical version of deliberative democracy is becoming hegemonic. Deliberative theory generated useful correctives to participatory democracy - i.e. a deeper understanding of the communicative fabric of the public sphere as worthy of democratisation; public reasoning as a bridge-builder between streets and institutions and a key precursor to democratic collective action. However, we argue that democratic innovation now needs a participatory corrective to strengthen its potential to mobilise capacity for change. We review emerging critiques in conversation with participatory ideas and practices, illustrating our argument with four gaps in democratic innovation that can become field-expanding dimensions to deliver emancipatory change more effectively: pluriversality, policy, political economy, and empowerment. |
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