3 ways to upgrade democracy for the 21st century.
BLUF
Max Rashbrooke believes current technology provides the opportunity for all citizens to have a meaningful say in their government’s decision-making processes.Summary
Rashbrooke argues that there is a crisis in representative democracy based on the following:
- The number of non-voters in the 2017 NZ election.
- During the EU debate, Theresa May's government found it very difficult to govern the UK.
- The rise of authoritarian leaders in Hungary and Turkey.
Suggested ways to fix the problem are:
- Citizen's Assemblies with a mix by age, gender, ethnicity, etc., as used in Canada.
- Participatory budgeting where the public decides how Council level funds will be spent.
- Online consensus formation where groups of people get together and make proposals which are then debated.
Some advantages of greater involvement are:
- More responsive to citizens.
- Counters online propaganda.
- Takes into account some indigenous traditions.
- Shows faith in people and their ability to listen.
Technology now allows us to have an improved version of the democracy of ancient Athens—with all adults voting, not just male property owners.
Some references which you might find helpful: