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Representative democracy is in crisis. One remedy is to foster citizen participation beyond elections. This has led to the development of democratic innovations such as participatory budgeting and citizens’ assemblies, through which lay citizens can discuss political problems, and make meaningful contributions. Democratic innovations' critics argue that they fail to truly empower citizens; that they impede democratic representation and efficient government. Advocates assert that democratic innovations make political systems more inclusive and democratic. Do these institutions matter for policy-making? Do they affect the broader public? What do political leaders do with their recommendations? How can we scrutinise democratic innovations’ impacts? Do they truly transform representation? This book brings together scholars from a range of disciplines to offer innovative ideas to develop research, improve our knowledge of the impacts of democratic innovations, and help us respond more effectively to contemporary democratic challenges.
To counter pervasive levels of citizen disengagement from political institutions, this book examines democratic innovations that meaningfully engage with citizens to address some of the deficits of Western representative democracies. Citizens’ assemblies provide one such innovation, offering opportunities for more consistent participation between elections, more meaningful input in government decision making, and more impactful platforms for participation. This cutting-edge book introduces a new definition for an Activated Citizen, along with a methodology to measure civic and political engagement. Relying on a mixed-methods approach and field research conducted in Paris, Brussels, Ottawa,...
In the past two decades, democratic institutions have faced a crisis of representation. From authoritarian backsliding in countries with recent democratic transformations, to severe challenges to established liberal democracies, the meaning of political representation and whether and when it succeeds has become highly debated. In response to an increasingly fraught political climate, Contested Representation brings together scholars from across the United States and Europe to critically assess the performance of representative institutions in Europe and North America. Taking an interdisciplinary, comparative approach, this volume looks at the viability of electoral institutions, the responsiveness of government to public preferences, alternative institutions for more inclusive democracy, and the political economy of populism. Chapters also address the broader normative question of how democratic institutions can be adapted to new conditions and challenges. Expertly researched and exceedingly timely, Contested Representation provides critical frameworks that highlight realistic pathways to democratic reform.
Citizens’ assemblies bring the shared wisdom of ordinary people into political decision making on the climate and ecological crisis. They are increasingly being used at local, national and even global levels. But with what impact? Can they take us beyond the shortcomings of electoral and partisan politics? Can they make a real difference? This book explains why climate assemblies have captured the imagination of governments and activists alike, exploring the ways they can have a meaningful impact on climate politics. This book charts the development of climate assemblies across Europe and beyond. It explores what ordinary people want, highlighting the ways in which assembly recommendations...
Advances an alternative approach to democratic reform that focuses on building institutions that empower people who have little time for politics. How do we make democracy more equal? Although in theory, all citizens in a democracy have the right to participate in politics, time-consuming forms of participation often advantage some groups over others. Where some citizens may have time to wait in long lines to vote, to volunteer for a campaign, to attend community board meetings, or to stay up to date on national, state, and local news, other citizens struggle to do the same. Since not all people have the time or inclination to devote substantial energy to politics, certain forms of participa...
When a scientific journal like "Oecologia Aquatica" reaches its tenth issue, it is perhaps not an occasion for extraordinary celebration. However, if it turn out that this coincides with a series of unusual circunstances, then the perspective changes somewhat. Moreover, if the editors hasten to confess that this modest milestone of issue na 10 was really taken as an excuse to pay tribute to Professor Ramon Margalef, who was the founder, the first director and the driving force behind the journal, we can be forgiven for waiting to celebrate.
Beyond his pivotal place in the history of scientific thought, Charles Darwin's writings and his theory of evolution by natural selection have also had a profound impact on art and culture and continue to do so to this day. The Literary and Cultural Reception of Charles Darwin in Europe is a comprehensive survey of this enduring cultural impact throughout the continent. With chapters written by leading international scholars that explore how literary writers and popular culture responded to Darwin's thought, the book also includes an extensive timeline of his cultural reception in Europe and bibliographies of major translations in each country.
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