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To counter pervasive levels of citizen disengagement from political institutions, this book examines democratic innovations that meaningfully engage with citizens to address some the deficits of western representative democracies. It will be required reading for all students and scholars of political participation and democratic innovation.
List of contents
Chapter 1. Democratic Malaise and Voice Insecurity; Chapter 2. Democratic Deficits, Citizens’ Assemblies, and Activated Citizenship; Chapter 3. France: The French Citizens’ Convention for the Climate (Comparative Case Study 1); Chapter 4. Belgium: The Brussels Parliament’s Deliberative Committee on Homelessness (Comparative Case Study 2); Chapter 5. Canada: The Canadian Citizens’ Assembly on Democratic Expression II (Comparative Case Study 3); Chapter 6. United States: Petaluma Fairgrounds Advisory Panel (Comparative Case Study 4); Chapter 7. A Blueprint for Activated Citizenship: Designing for Legitimacy & Transformative Change; Chapter 8. Afterword: Putting the Public Back in Public Policy; Index
About the author
Marjan H. Ehsassi is the Executive Director of FIDE – North America (the Federation for Innovation in Democracy – North America). She is also a Future of Democracy Fellow (non-resident) at the Berggruen Institute and a Senior Innovations Fellow at the Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability (IDEA at OSU). Dr. Ehsassi is a skilled advocate, strategic policy advisor and a movement builder. A fierce believer in the integrity of voice, she promotes citizen-centric democratic processes that are inclusive, hold government accountable, build civic muscle and are impactful. A lawyer, Dr. Ehsassi has worked to enhance space for civil society in some of the most complex environments including Cuba, Iran, and North Korea. She completed her Doctorate in International Affairs (DIA) at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) with a concentration on democratic innovations, deliberative democracy, and citizens’ assemblies.
Summary
To counter pervasive levels of citizen disengagement from political institutions, this book examines democratic innovations that meaningfully engage with citizens to address some the deficits of western representative democracies. It will be required reading for all students and scholars of political participation and democratic innovation.
