Democratic Design by Michael Saward, Hardcover | Indigo Chapters

Democratic practices and ideals are facing stern tests around the world in the 21st century. Democratic Design argues that to respond effectively and creatively, democrats will need to work with a new and versatile toolkit of concepts and institutions. Existing dominant approaches, such as thedeliberative democracy model, offer forms of "silo thinking" at a time when systemic and joined-up perspectives are at a premium. The book builds this new toolkit - the democratic design framework - through an original blend of design thinking and democratic theory and practice. It shows why we needthis framework, and how its use can renew and enliven democracy's potential across a range of countries and contexts. Encompassing a wide range of institutions and practices - from the familiar (such as parliamentary procedures) to the innovative (such as citizens' assemblies) - the book explores (and illustrates) in detail why we need new and hybrid designs for democracy, and how to generate them. Emphasising (a)systemic (not merely "institutional") design, (b) the practical enactment of democratic values such as equality and participation, and (c) the importance of designing for different national and other contexts, Democratic Design shows how a comprehensive approach to rethinking the present and futureof democratic governance is possible, indeed essential. Its arguments draw together, and move beyond, the best of existing theories and models by devising a new framework that is both practical and theoretically robust. | Democratic Design by Michael Saward, Hardcover | Indigo Chapters