Participation Requests: A Democratic Innovation to Unlock the Door of Public Services?

Oliver Escobar,Evgeniya Plotnikova,Hayley Bennett,Artur Steiner,Clementine Hill O’Connor

doi:10.1177/00953997211037597

Abstract

Democracies are under pressure and public administrations must evolve to accommodate new forms of public participation. Participation processes may reproduce or disrupt existing power inequalities. Through a multi-method empirical study of “Participation Requests,” a new legislative policy tool to open up public services in Scotland, this article addresses an empirical gap on governance-driven democratic innovations (DIs). We use Young’s distinction of external and internal inclusion and find Participation Requests replicate the pitfalls of traditional forms of associative democracy. We contend that DIs should be co-produced between institutions and communities to bring a participatory and deliberative corrective to temper bureaucratic logics.

Highlights

Democratic innovations (DIs) are processes or institutions “developed to reimagine and deepen the role of citizens in governance processes by increasing opportunities for participation, deliberation and influence” (Elstub & Escobar, 2019b, p. 28)
Warren (2009, p. 3) calls this phenomenon “governance-driven democratization” and comments, Who would have thought that policy and policy-making—the domain of technocrats and administrators would move into the vanguard of democratization? And yet it is in this domain—not in electoral democracy— that we are seeing a rebirth of strongly democratic ideals, including empowered participation, focused deliberation, and attentiveness to those affected by decisions
Instead of a door into public service decision-making, our research found that Participation Requests are a small window, primarily for some established organizations to gain a better view of the backstage bureaucratic processes that shape decision-making

Summary

Introduction

Democratic innovations (DIs) are processes or institutions “developed to reimagine and deepen the role of citizens in governance processes by increasing opportunities for participation, deliberation and influence” (Elstub & Escobar, 2019b, p. 28). Democratic innovations (DIs) are processes or institutions “developed to reimagine and deepen the role of citizens in governance processes by increasing opportunities for participation, deliberation and influence” Governments, civil society, democratic reformers, and scholars are increasingly collaborating to develop various forms of DIs. much attention focuses on traditional politically driven initiatives, it is functional needs in policymaking and governance that tends to drive such reforms. It is in this domain—not in electoral democracy— that we are seeing a rebirth of strongly democratic ideals, including empowered participation, focused deliberation, and attentiveness to those affected by decisions. Much attention focuses on traditional politically driven initiatives, it is functional needs in policymaking and governance that tends to drive such reforms. Warren (2009, p. 3) calls this phenomenon “governance-driven democratization” and comments, Who would have thought that policy and policy-making—the domain of technocrats and administrators would move into the vanguard of democratization? And yet it is in this domain—not in electoral democracy— that we are seeing a rebirth of strongly democratic ideals, including empowered participation, focused deliberation, and attentiveness to those affected by decisions.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion