Democratic Innovations: Designing Institutions for Citizen Participation (Theories of Institutional Design) - Softcover

Smith, Graham

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521730708 ISBN 13: 9780521730709

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2009

Synopsis

Can we design institutions that increase and deepen citizen participation in the political decision making process? At a time when there is growing disillusionment with the institutions of advanced industrial democracies, there is also increasing interest in new ways of involving citizens in the political decisions that affect their lives. This book draws together evidence from a variety of democratic innovations from around the world, including participatory budgeting in Brazil, Citizens' Assemblies on Electoral Reform in Canada, direct legislation in California and Switzerland and emerging experiments in e-democracy. The book offers a rare systematic analysis of this diverse range of democratic innovations, drawing lessons for the future development of both democratic theory and practice.

About this title

Book Description:

Can we design institutions that increase and deepen citizen participation in the political process? This book examines a range of democratic innovations from around the world, and offers a rare systematic analysis of the evidence, drawing lessons for the future development of both democratic theory and practice.

About the Author:

Graham Smith is Professor of Politics in the Centre for Citizenship and Democracy at the University of Southampton.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0521730708
• ISBN 13: 9780521730709
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 232