# to help build confidence of citizens to make decisions and begin
to reduce dependency on delegates and non-elected officials
# to improve quality of choice of candidates (voting)
# to provide or improve opportunities for monitoring of government,
central and local, representatives and officials
# to improve quality and increase amount of public debate on prime
issues: this can lead e.g. firstly to more informed voting, secondly to
more effective "Durchsetzung" (conception and carrying through) of
referenda, and to more refined, sophisticated exercise of plebicitary
rights (also: networking will improve ease of spreading information and
gaining support to carry out referenda) In short, to enrich the culture
of politics.
# to build a base, promote a learning process which will allow a more
deliberated participation of citizens in public decision making and
policy implementation, paving the way for more direct democracy (e.g.
more frequent referenda on a wider range of issues; direct moderation
of parliamentary decisions by citizens voting electronically).
what can citizens demand, do:
Improve availability of information - regarding all plans and activities of government and administration, local, regional/state, central (and committees, quangos/public organisations etc.). A few countries are much better than others on this. (These people and organisations are supposed to represent us, the voters, and carry out our wishes! Do we not have a right to know what they are up to?)
Aim to re-organise "town halls" for citizens, not only for officials, (town halls may be partly electronic, eg. with free terminals in public places - libraries, schools, department stores - there are working examples). This means that citizens can see, read about, all steps of decision-making in advance. There are various possible forms (some already tried) of "town meeting" where (prepared) issues are discussed and (maybe in a later stage of innovation) decisions are made by citizens voting or reaching consensus.
Citizens can communicate "laterally" among themselves as well as with representatives and executives. The framework for this already exists in the Internet (e-mail, Internet Relay Chat etc.) and there are older methods too! With aid of computer networking, long term problems, options for medium-term decision-making, even threatening crises can be discussed publicly, more effectively than ever before.
Issues: On any issue which you judge to be important use electronic networking and also more traditional methods e.g. meetings, local or national mass media, to find collaborators for real, improved debate and opinion-building (politische Willensbildung?) and also as "rehearsal" for more direct (citizen) democracy. Try various forms of deliberation, e.g. study groups and panels (invite experts, debate, decide, on selected issues)(compare Fishkin, Texas #1, below; Jefferson centre #2, below); computerised and real conferences. Make the results public. Seek to improve and innovate in local media (e.g. citizens' radio, local t.v, plus Stichwort: interactivity)
Elections and referenda: Independent, maybe competing analysts' and citizens' groups can use older methods and new electronic media to present the candidates, the issues, the financial background of politicians, parties and campaigns, the election system (show how to vote effectively), WELL IN ADVANCE OF POLLING DAY (compare projects in California, Minneapolis).
Last point: Please do not wait for the data-highway to provide a better future "on a plate" by bringing parliament into your living-room. Help to improve democracy now, with whatever means you have!
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This draft citizens' charter was posted to electronic discussions about political participation, public affairs, electronic democracy, information and society. Some replies may be found at the WWW-site of GØTZE ENTERPRISES, http://www.gbar.dtu.dk/~itsjg/dia3.htm DEMOCRACY IN ACTION III
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Dr. Michael Macpherson,
Psycho-Social and Medical Research PSAMRA,
Guildford and Berlin
e-mail: mm@iniref.org
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#1 Publications by Dr. James Fishkin are listed in Democracy in Action
(first part)
#2 Contact to the Jefferson
Centre also in Democracy
in Action II
contact: Dr. Michael Macpherson via e-mail, mjm@berlin.snafu.de
URL of this document is http://www.snafu.de/~mjm/s/d3.html
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