Evolution of the idea of participative democracy

Abstract

The article examines the transformation of the content of the idea of participatory democracy with reference to historical retrospection.
 To carry out a full-fledged analysis of the evolution of the idea of participatory democracy, the way of development of the concept of democracy in general is considered. It has been established that the phenomenon of "democracy" originates from the times of antiquity and the works of Aristotle (384-322 BC), and the philosophers of the Renaissance (M. Machiavelli, J. Locke, S. Montesquieu, J.-J. Rousseau, A. Tocqueville, etc.). The process of implementing the ideas of democracy in practice started at the end of the 17th century in England and France, went through four stages, the last of which began in the 21st century and continues to this day.
 It was found that the history of participatory democracy tentatively dates back to the 5th century to n. (the city of Athens, Ancient Greece), and after the Second World War, the gradual expansion of electoral rights and the processes of emancipation paved the way for its large-scale development. In the 80s of the XX century in Western Europe and the USA, the idea of participatory democracy gained momentum. B. Barber, K. McPherson, J. Mansbridge, C. Pateman, J. Zimmerman and S. Shalom made the greatest contribution to its spread. The result of a long path of transformation of the content of democracy, which for several centuries was perceived as a means of including the poor in the space of politics, was the understanding of participatory democracy as an indispensable process of requiring the rotation of leaders, the breakdown of social hierarchies, and a change in the perception of the essence of freedom. The evolution of the idea of participatory democracy, first of all, is connected with the declaration of the priority of human freedoms over the interests of the state.
 Today, the theory of participatory democracy occupies a leading place in the rating of democratic theories and is actively used in practice in many countries of the world. The defining idea of participatory democracy lies in the potential of ordinary citizens to exercise self-management, but it has not yet been fully implemented in life. So, we have the following movement vectors to ensure universal and effective involvement of the vast majority of citizens in the decision-making process: increasing the level of awareness and education, leveling economic inequality, providing real tools for influencing the political process (especially with the help of information and communication and blockchain technologies). At the same time, it is worth taking into account the autonomy of the individual, the freedom of individuality and the issue of voluntary participation or non-participation of each individual citizen.