Give the Ireland long decades of corruption, greed, cronyism, nepotism, long needed legislation deliberate denied, other legislation deliberate delayed or stalled, poor accountability of elected when breaking laws, the “Conflicts of interest” acts in elected office, the insider deals, the abuse of our current democracy system, the behind closed door deals, the missing files, the missing phones, the missing notes, the refusals to disclose information, the antics to stop journalists from simply reporting truths, etc, it can be easily stated that Ireland needs to upgrade the way it fundamentally operates.
The continuing notion that elected should be only accountable to their employers, the public, just once every five years is outdated. In a digital world where millions of Euro, Dollars, Sterling, etc, is transferred around the world in minutes and possible lost in equal quick time, it’s crazy that elected have ability to blow same amounts and much more, over 1825 days in office before being public accountable again. What we need when a crisis occurs, when wrongs need quicker accountability, is a system that allows a public to see accountability occur faster. This can be achieved through a democracy system upgrade called “Participatory Democracy.”
Now, let’s be clear from the start. Questionable elected individuals and bad political parties absolutely do not want to talk about Participatory Democracy. They carry on as it if doesn’t exist. They won’t raise it as a topic – but if someone else does, they will only rubbish it, blank the subject or the “someone“. They won’t put it into their election manifesto. They won’t bring it to greater public attention. Why? The idea that they could be accountable all year – every year – for they stabbing the public in the back, for they being crooked, for they failing at their jobs, for they operating conflicts of interest, for they having double standards, flip-flops and much more? Hell no! They can’t be better accountable if they can make damn sure the ways it can be done, are avoided and blanked!
So, what is Participatory Democracy? What follows is a greater detailed explaination – but in short, it means great accountability all year, every year and the public have a greater say in all things when they want to, more directly. Now, comes the greater breakdown of it – but if you want to skip it, below the breakdown is a further example of how bad elected can be held accountable by one of it’s inner abilities called “Recall”.
The Detailed Version.
- Introduction
Participatory democracy is a form of government in which citizens participate individually and directly in political decisions and policies that affect their lives, alongside elected representatives. It is not a new concept and has existed in various forms since Athenian democracy. However, in the 21st century, participatory democracy has gained more relevance and importance, as people demand more voice and influence in the matters that concern them. In this report, Participatory Democracy is needed for modern countries today, because it enhances the quality, legitimacy and responsiveness of democracy, as well as foster civic engagement and social cohesion.
- Quality of Democracy
One of the main benefits of participatory democracy is that it can improve the quality of democracy, by allowing citizens to directly shape the policies and laws that affect them. This can lead to more informed, deliberative and rational outcomes, as citizens can bring their knowledge, perspectives and preferences to the decision-making process. Participatory democracy can also increase the accountability and transparency of public authorities, as they have to justify and explain their actions to the public, and face the consequences of their failures. Moreover, participatory democracy can reduce the gap between the elites and the masses, and prevent the capture of power by special interests or corrupt actors.
- Legitimacy of Democracy
Another advantage of participatory democracy is that it can enhance the legitimacy of democracy, by giving citizens a sense of ownership and empowerment over the political system. This can increase the trust and satisfaction of citizens with the democratic institutions and processes, and reduce the alienation and apathy that often plague representative democracy. Participatory democracy can also foster a more diverse and inclusive representation of the society, by giving voice and recognition to the marginalized and disadvantaged groups, and ensuring that their needs and interests are taken into account. Furthermore, participatory democracy can strengthen the rule of law and the respect for human rights, by making citizens more aware and responsible of their rights and duties as members of the polity.
- Responsiveness of Democracy
A third benefit of participatory democracy is that it can improve the responsiveness of democracy, by making the public policies and services more aligned with the demands and expectations of the citizens. This can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the public administration, as it can draw on the feedback and input of the citizens to identify and solve the problems that affect them. Participatory democracy can also enhance the innovation and adaptability of the public sector, as it can encourage the experimentation and learning of new and better ways of doing things, and foster the collaboration and cooperation among different actors and stakeholders. Additionally, participatory democracy can promote the sustainability and durability of the public policies and programs, by making them more acceptable and supported by the citizens, and less vulnerable to changes in the political climate.
- Civic Engagement and Social Cohesion
A final advantage of participatory democracy is that it can boost the civic engagement and social cohesion of the society, by creating more opportunities and incentives for citizens to participate in the public affairs and to interact with each other. This can increase the political knowledge and skills of the citizens, as they can learn from the information and arguments presented by different sources and perspectives. Participatory democracy can also foster the civic values and attitudes of the citizens, such as tolerance, respect, solidarity and public-spiritedness, as they can develop a sense of belonging and identity with the community and the common good. Moreover, participatory democracy can enhance the social capital and networks of the society, by facilitating the communication and cooperation among the citizens and the civil society organizations, and creating a more vibrant and pluralistic public sphere.
Example of countries using Participatory Democracy.
– Switzerland: The Swiss political system is based on this system which allows citizens to propose and vote on constitutional amendments, laws, and referendums at the federal, cantonal, and municipal levels. The state government carried out up to four referendums a year, allowing its citizens to render true democratic judgements. The public and elected know that all representatives must perform their duties to the best possible outcome. Therefore, exploitation of office position, too long away from their desks (off on too many junkets, holidays, etc), failing to do in proper time what needs to be done, is not tolerated. the result has been that elected knowing they are more accountable, are providing the best banking systems along with strong protection systems for its public. It has one of the world’s best health care systems. It has a top-ranking education system, functioning to high standards and is well funded. Its public transportation system is repeatedly reliable and efficient. In many ways Switzerland is an example of how elected, when more accountable, can end result in a better organised and better day to day operating society.
– Brazil: Brazil has implemented participatory budgeting, which is a process that allows citizens to decide how to allocate a portion of the public budget through deliberation and voting.
– Ireland: Ireland has used citizens’ assemblies, which are selected groups of citizens that deliberate on important issues and make recommendations to the parliament or the public. However, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are particularly selective in the topics sent to it. They apply controls over their often self-invented mandate and apply limits to assembly scopes. In the recent past when Fianna Fail has feared a forthcoming conclusion on a specific matter, they have instead, flip-flopped, abandoned its Citizens Assembly and instead, created its own stacked forum. An example of this has been in regard to Ireland and its neutrality stance – or of what’s little left of it thanks to the undermining antics of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They have managed to corrupt Participatory Democracy as a means to their end. One that they don’t include in their election manifesto’s – example, once again their neutrality and undemocratic antics. The public not being given a democratic vote on such important matters or even consulted with, on matters that will affect future generations of Ireland people.
– Georgia: Georgia has received support from the Council of Europe to strengthen participatory democracy and improve human rights aspects in selected municipalities.
- Conclusion
In conclusion, participatory democracy is a form of government – when done right and not allowed to be corrupted by out of date parties – that can bring many benefits to the modern countries today, by improving the quality, legitimacy and responsiveness of democracy, and by stimulating the civic engagement and social cohesion of the society. Participatory democracy should not be seen as a substitute, but as a complementing upgrade to current used representative democracy, and as a continuous and dynamic process of experimentation and improvement, rather than as a fixed and static model of governance that only occurs every five years. In a fast world, five years far too long for better to long and far too long to wait for any accountability. Too much damage and scandals can occur in the meantime. It’s time to upgrade our democratic process.
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Useful links:
* Participatory Democracy: the Importance of Having a Say When Times are Hard. CLICK HERE
* What is Participatory Democracy and why is it important?. CLICK HERE
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- Recall – Explaination and use.
The ability of recall is a procedure that can be incorporated into Participatory Democracy, by which the public can remove an elected official from office before their term ends, if they are dissatisfied with their performance or conduct. This can hold elected officials accountable by giving the voters the power to revoke their mandate and replace them with someone else. An example of this can be seen through the election of film star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was elected Governor of California after the previous occupier of office was removed by the use of Recall, due to very questionable activities.
Should an elected person behave in a way that some judge to be questionable or are failing in their elected role, an ordinary citizen can form a question asking for the elected person to be held to better account. For example, the citizens with helpers, may approach other citizens in their local community and ask them if a named elected official should be removed from office and replaced by a better person. If those asking the question to others, gather over a certain percentage of their local community and that decision is in a majority, local elected official must by Participatory Democracy law, must then hold an official town or country referendum. The outcome of this referendum will then decide if the questionable elected official stays in the elected role or is legally fired. Good elected people are well able to remain in office while the bad amid them, are better able to be removed