Democratic innovations\u00a0are a\u00a0potential solution to the democratic recession and growing public cynicism towards traditional democratic institutions and practices (Elstub & Escobar 2019). Building on\u00a0longstanding\u00a0participatory and deliberative theories of democracy, democratic innovations\u00a0are\u00a0instruments aiming\u00a0to increase lay citizens\u2019 direct influence in collective decision-making.\u00a0Some examples of democratic innovations,\u00a0especially deliberative mini-publics, referendums,\u00a0and participatory budgeting\u00a0have achieved high degrees of institutionalization \u2013 they have been implemented and adapted to a myriad of decision-making contexts\u00a0at different levels of government.\u00a0Even more experimental\u00a0varieties of democratic innovations are proliferating in various areas of public administration.<\/p>\n
These\u00a0innovative\u00a0participatory instruments are expected to restore\u00a0faith in\u00a0democracy through their influence\u00a0on\u00a0collective decisions\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0public\u00a0sphere.\u00a0This can be achieved through \u201cdesigned coupling\u201d, i.e. purposefully crafting links between democratic innovations and traditional sites of power and the wider public (Hendriks 2016; Mansbridge et al. 2012).\u00a0Which mechanisms\u00a0enable the transmission of participatory outputs to decision-making?\u00a0How to\u00a0scale up the effects of\u00a0democratic innovations to wider publics? What are the prerequisites for designed coupling?<\/p>\n
This workshop invites papers that\u00a0reflect\u00a0the linkages between democratic innovations and traditional sites of representative\/bureaucratic power or the general public. We welcome both empirical\u00a0studies\u00a0investigating real-world participatory processes as well as theoretical papers discussing the preconditions, mechanisms or problems of designed coupling.<\/p>\n
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Workshop languages:\u00a0Papers can be submitted in English, Swedish or\u00a0Finnish. Discussion languages will depend on participants.<\/p>\n
Workshop leaders:<\/p>\n
Maija J\u00e4ske, \u00c5bo Akademi University,\u00a0maija.jaske@abo.fi<\/a><\/p>\n