participation in politics

cases, examples, ideas

– of direct participation – a brief overview

 

Some of the instruments, procedures, processes of direct democracy 1 inspired their introduction, or proposals to introduce them, in other, representative, democracies by those seeking their further development.2

Like e.g. in the EU, its communes, regions, countries and EU-wide – here an overview of discussions by activists' groups in the EU, with the first step to more direct democracy on the EU level, the ECI.2

		locally ...		EU-wide
		_________		_________
•  initiatives (I)		CI ...		ECI
•  referenda (R)		CR ...		ECR
•  conventions (C)		CC ...		ECC
•  constitutional conventions
•  (C+C)	CC+C ...	ECC+C
	_________	_________
	C – Citizens'	E – European

We focus on (citizens'/peoples') initiatives, referenda, conventions, constitutional conventions as processes of direct participation, their substance – not (only) as specific procedures or instruments.3

In developed democracies, these processes are open to everyone and to any issue. With binding, direct inputs into and relations with other processes – like e.g. broad discussion throughout the whole society, or implementation – including writing down and amending laws, constitutions. Locally and beyond – in the communes, municipalities, towns, cities, regions, countries, states, federations, unions (like e.g. the EU), internationally.

Initiatives and referenda (I&R) are the oldest 'twins' of direct participation, basic milestones in the processes of direct democracy. Initiatives bring issues into politics, people bring them in by peoples' initiatives.4 In referenda (peoples' referenda)4 people decide on them, as well as on other issues brought in, or decided upon (including laws) by the representatives.

With conventions, constitutional conventions we mean processes of discussing, developing various issues, agreeing upon them, including common rules, writing them down (into laws, constitutions), amending them. In developed democracies they, same as all processes, are open to all and everything, and subject to initiatives and referenda.

 

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1 direct democracy – developed representative democracy · · · key words & theory  ▲
1 e.g. in the 'democracy labs' of Switzerland, or some US states

2 e.g. in the 'democracy lab' of Bavaria, taking steps on this way after WWII, initated by a few returning from their Swiss exile, followed, one by one, by others in the 'democracy lab' of Germany, its countries, communes
2 later on activists engaged for more (direct) democracy co-initiated discussions on it in the EU, 2002/03 initiating the ECI ↗︎ (under the radar within the Convention on the Future of Europe ↗︎), which is still in a stage of a mere petition to the Commission ↗︎ only / more about it, also its next steps of development and/or obstacles or detours, on the initiators' web citizens-initiative.eu, The ECI campaign – for a European Citizens' Initiative that works!
2 e.g., if only for a brief time only, in the 'democracy lab' of Ireland, which, after winning (1921) the post-WWI War of Independence, introduced referendum and initiative (1922), yet took it back after six years (1928), later on (1937) introducing 'referenda' initiated 'from above' (i.e. plebiscites) instead / in the second decade of our century the Irish government/parliament introduced 'constitutional convention'/'citizens assembly', bodies of representative democracy, including also selected citizens, discussing and presenting proposals, which may be voted on by the people, as/if the government/parliament decide a

3 to asses, compare to which extent specific processes, procedures, instruments are directly participative (or not, not yet), we propose our tools · · · tools  ▲

4 in developed democracies part of the peoples' political rights, like e.g. political rights ↗︎ in the 'democracy lab' of Switzerland

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a 'citizens assemblies', 'panels', 'conventions' etc. – as bodies, processes of representative democracy, with only a few selected ones, are called upon in various regions, countries, as well as the EU and labeled 'citizens' participation' – in understanding of representative democracies that 'participation' means an 'indirect' one · · · key words & theory  ▲

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↗︎ web search with google.ch

 

 

 

 

– currently working on the concept – building up the team –