Deliberative Democracy Flashcards
Intro to Irish Model of Citizens Assembly.
-Innovation of Deliberative Democracy
-Process of choosing a random representative sample.
-Embedded into Irish Political framework.
The Process of Citizens Assembly.
-Random selection of citizens who broadly represent the population on demographic factors.
-Briefed by experts.
-Asked for policy recommendations.
The Constitutional Convention.
-Citizens Assembly model based on Constitutional Convention.
-2012-2014, Marriage Equality and the Voting Age.
-66 citizens, 33 politicians, and in independent chair person.
-Three referendum, electoral commission, and changes to the Dail standing order.
Citizens Assembly 1.
-2016-2018, climate change and abortion.
-Resulted in 2/3 of the population voting to repeal the eighth amendment.
-Policy recommendation on how Ireland can transition into a low carbon society.
Citizens Assembly 2.
-The Gender Equality Citizens Assembly.
-100 citizens briefed over 5 weekends, issues such as gender based violence and the pay gap.
-New statutory body to promote gender equality and a number of proposals.
Citizens Assembly praise.
-Evidence based decision making.
-Great transparency and subject to criticism of a broader community.
-Forces government to follow through and make change.
Citizens Assembly Criticism 1.
-Irish model critiques for not representing the population adequately.
-Lack of representation of younger people and those of lower socio economic status in early Citizens Assemblies.
-Could raise legitimacy concerns.
Citizens Assembly Criticism 2.
-Political parties using the system to further political agendas.
-Not used for having a collaborative discussion.
-Could implement a petition aspect.
Conclusion
-Important part of Irish Politics.
-Well received and an innovative approach.
-On going Drug Use Citizens Assembly.
-Trust in the democratic process.
Direct Democracy and Representative Democracy Introduction.
-Representative Democracies- elected representative to make decisions on their behalf.
-Direct Democracy encourages citizens to participate in the democratic process.
-Bridges the gap between citizens and their elected representatives.
Definition
-“Mechanisms of Direct Democracy can be used to resolve difficult political problems, particularly where political parties are divided over an issue” (IDEA 2008).
-Lack of representation and views changing between elections.
Referendums
-16 member states have included in regional or national or regional constitutions.
-mandatory or optional.
-Accountable and responsive to the needs of the population.
Citizens Imitative
-Citizens to propose new laws or changing existing ones.
-Overcome limitations of representative democracies.
-Bypass obstacles and forces to government to act on certain issues.
Switzerland
-Extensive use of citizens initiatives.
-Changes to constitution, propose and veto existing laws.
-Proposals to ban GMOs, introduce basic income, promote renewable energy.
Criticism.
-Referendum, venerable to misinformation.
-“Routinely complain about insufficient information, confusing questions, contradictory lines of argument regarding the possible consequences of a referendum vote.” Le Duc 2003.
-Citizens Initiatives - Not protected from powerful interest groups.
