Democratic Innovations: Designing Institutions for Citizen Participation

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.

Author: Graham Smith
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 07/02/2009
Pages: 232
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.79lbs
Size: 9.00h x 5.90w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9780521730709

Review Citation(s):
Choice 05/01/2010

About the Author
Smith, Graham: - Graham Smith is Professor of Politics in the Centre for Citizenship and Democracy at the University of Southampton.