Valesca Lima
Valesca Lima argues that Irish local authorities tend to treat public participation as a formal administrative requirement. However, by moving beyond performative box-ticking and toward genuine co-design, we can bridge the trust gap. True engagement doesn't just legitimise decisions; it sparks the local innovation our cities desperately need Read more
Émilie Frenkiel
A pioneering new deliberative democracy project invites university students, faculty and administrative staff to develop transformative measures to future-proof their institution against social and environmental challenges. Reintroducing deliberation into education and beyond, argues Émilie Frenkiel, could bridge the representative disconnect between citizens and institutions Read more
Ezgi Kuran
In Istanbul, urban planning has become a battleground for the redefinition of citizenship. Ezgi Kuran describes how, in the 2024 municipal elections, the opposition CHP and the ruling AKP exploited urban planning to change what it means to be a citizen, and present their opposing visions of Turkey's future Read more
Marie-Isabel Theuwis
Populist attitudes are responsive to perceived improvements in the democratic system. Marie-Isabel Theuwis and Rosa Kindt argue that this makes them a useful means to measure democratic quality Read more
Mattia Bottino
Participatory governance in megaprojects is intended to involve citizens in the decision-making processes and tackle their disaffection towards institutions. Mattia Bottino analyses the ‘proximity strategy’ used to realise the Brenner Basistunnel between Italy and Austria and contrasts it with the NO TAV experience in Italy’s Susa Valley Read more
Anne Nygaard Jedzini
The threat of sanctions or coercive power is key to how governments make public good outcomes. To increase the legitimacy of coercive power and address illegitimate forms of power such as control and corruption, Anne Nygaard Jedzini argues that politicians need to share power with citizens through deliberation Read more
Adrian Smith
New digital platforms for citizens' initiatives, such as Decidim, are becoming more popular. Adrian Smith and Pedro Prieto Martín argue that while the technology may not be developed in a democratic way, such instruments can develop into tools for democracy in today’s digital societies Read more
Titus Alexander
Most political science is like anatomy, analysing the body politic without healing it. Titus Alexander argues that we can learn from health sciences and create a manifesto, like that of The Lancet, to prioritise improving lives and launch a global mission to strengthen democracy Read more
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