democracy & deliberation

Democracy is championed as a value yet often degraded in its practice. Can the form of focused, extended public discussion known as “deliberation” re-vivify it? James S Fishkin launches the debate by addressing the arguments about collective judgment in James Surowiecki’s The Wisdom of Crowds.
Thursday 26th January

The debate on Englishness can no longer be avoided

Anthony Painter, 26 January 2012
An increasingly assertive English nationalism; the prospect of an independent Scotland; the economic crisis.... the English question is ready to explode. Evasion tactics are deeply embedded, but even these are about to fail.
Thursday 5th January

The one sure way to reduce prostitution: heroin prescription

Stuart Rodger, 5 January 2012
We are at a point in the drugs policy debate now where it is no longer heretical to critique conventional wisdom; that is, to critique a policy which bears virtually zero relation to medical and sociological evidence. How many more women have to beaten, raped, or murdered before we finally see sense?
Wednesday 21st December

The 'Democratic Recession' has turned into a modern zeitgeist of democratic reform

Robert Battison, 21 December 2011
It is no coincidence that the wave of protests comes in the wake of a 'democratic recession'. People are increasingly demanding democracy in the Arab world, and also in the west.
Tuesday 13th September

A prayer for Denmark

David Volodzko, 13 September 2011
Denmark's 2011 election is upon us. Considering that the nation has been run by a right-wing coalition for ten years, and with the far-right DPP being pushed out of mainstream politics, what lies in store for Denmark?
Thursday 17th June

Iceland's economic downturn is a ”freedom of speech” upturn

Kim Andersen, 17 June 2010
Iceland approves bill that turns the recession-plagued island into a "new media heaven"
Sunday 16th May

The Pope in Portugal

Sofia Diogo Mateus, 16 May 2010
Students mobilise against a secular republic's partiality to the Catholic church
Thursday 22nd April

From Diego Garcia, Peros Banhos and the other Chagos Islands - people speak out

Alex Morrison, 22 April 2010
The people of Diego Garcia, Peros Banhos and the other Chagos Islands speak out on Britain’s proposal for a Marine Protected Area
Friday 11th September

State power versus disability

Elena Savina, 11 September 2009
A social rehabilitation centre in Moscow for young disabled people has been threatened with eviction because the local authority needs the premises
Monday 7th September

State 2.0: a new front end?

Charlie Beckett, 7 September 2009
Just as old media has learned to use the fluid networks of Web 2.0, so old politics can fuse incrementally with the State 2.0
Tuesday 21st April

E Pluribus Facebook

Jonathan Zittrain, 21 April 2009
Will an online community more populous than most states become one of citizens, not customers?
Monday 9th February

The liberty of the networked (1)

Tony Curzon Price, 9 February 2009
We needed both individual and collective notions of freedom to survive if technology is not to empower tyranny
Wednesday 21st November

Building civic agency: the public-work approach

Harry C Boyte, 21 November 2007

The creation of "civic agency" will transform 21st-century democracy

Tuesday 23rd October

Democracy's "stress-test": three perspectives

Frank Vibert, 23 October 2007

Deliberate, dethrone, or devolve - which route from crisis works?

Tuesday 16th October

The cheap-talk challenge: what is debate really for?

Tony Curzon Price, 16 October 2007

Plato and Rousseau, Arendt and Habermas, JS Mill and Slashdot's Cmdr Taco at openDemocracy's table

Monday 15th October

From deliberative to determinative democracy

John Jackson, 15 October 2007

A British sustainability proposal with European lessons. Plus: more from Switzerland and James Fishkin in the deliberation debate

Saturday 13th October

Democratic vote or deliberative poll?

Matthias Benz, 13 October 2007
The view from Switzerland ... also in the deliberation debate: Fishkin, reportage from Brussels
Friday 12th October

Deliberative polling: distilling the crowd’s wisdom

James S Fishkin, 12 October 2007
How best can citizens engage democratic processes and improve outcomes?
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