Improving democratic governance through institutional design: civic participation and democratic ownership in Europe

In this article we provide a conceptual and argumentative framework for studying how institutional design can enhance civic participation and ultimately increase citizens’ sense of democratic ownership of governmental processes. First, we set out the socio-political context for enhancing the democratic governance of regulatory policies in Europe, and highlight the way in which civic participation and democratic ownership is given equal weight to economic competitiveness. We then discuss the potential for institutionalised participatory governance to develop and their prospects for improving effective and democratic governance in the multi-layered European polity. The article concludes by outlining a research agenda for the field and identifying the priorities for scholars working in interaction with civil society and governments

ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ ПРИНЦИПІВ ПУБЛІЧНОГО АДМІНІСТРУВАННЯ В РОБОТІ ОРГАНІВ МІСЦЕВОЇ ВЛАДИ

Among the most important aspects of a democratic state is the development of public administration. Being a part of the civil society, public administration allows citizens to manifest their opinion and be involved in governance. There is a need for new approaches to the formation of the system of public administration, through which social problems are solved applying the European principles of public administration. Consequently, the authors aim to find new approaches to the application of the principles of public administration in the work of local governments in the process of building a democratic society. The results of the research are as follows. Firstly, changes in public administration must ensure stability, openness and transparency in the activities of local governments and ensure their credibility and public trust. Secondly, a key element in the organization of local government is the principles of public administration. At the present level of public administration, openness and transparency is a prerequisite for the work of employees at all levels of management allowing each member of society to be informed about the mechanisms of management decisions, controls the observance of the rule of law, equality of all citizens before the law. Furthermore, innovation and good governance in the work of the local governments should fully implement the principles that ensure quality and performance of management: the compliance of government requirements and expectations of the citizens; openness and transparency; ethical behavior of employees; focus on long-term results; sound financial management; responsibility for the results. Finally, democratic standards and principles will be implemented fully in the process of the introduction of public discussion of the results of local self-government by the community, creation of the system of regular monitoring of public opinion; conducting the research to develop a unified policy of management based on international standards and models of quality; monitoring and control of the community for the development of local government programs and control over decision-making; improving the working methods of solving social problems. Our conclusion is that the use of democratic standards and principles in the work of local governments at all levels will be the key to strengthening civil society in Ukraine, and implementation of the interests and rights of citizens.Рaссмотрены теоретические и приклaдные основы публичного aдминистрировaния в деятельности оргaнов местной влaсти. Определенa роль и знaчение местных влaстей в публичном упрaвлении, рaскрыто содержaние основных принципов публичного aдминистрировaния, исследовaны особенности реaлизaции демокрaтических принципов в европейских стрaнaх и определенa необходимость их прaктического применения в рaботе отечественных оргaнов местной влaсти кaк перспективного нaпрaвления в процессе построения демокрaтического госудaрствa. Внедрение дaнных принципов обеспечит кaчество и результaтивность упрaвления и соответствие деятельности оргaнов местной влaсти требовaниям и ожидaниям грaждaн.Розглянуто теоретичні та прикладні засади публічного адміністрування в діяльності органів місцевої влади. Визначено роль та значення місцевої влади у публічному управлінні, розкрито зміст основних принципів публічного адміністрування, досліджено особливості реалізації демократичних принципів у європейських країнах та визначено потребу їх практичного застосування в роботі вітчизняних органів місцевої влади як перспективного напрямку в процесі побудови демократичної держави. Впровадження цих принципів забезпечить якість і результативність управління та відповідність діяльності органів місцевої влади вимогам та очікуванням громадян

The effect of local political deliberation on the publicity of reason

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Communication Policy: the Efforts to Strengthen Civil Society

In the last decades there were a tendency to make public institution more open and greater public participation in decision making. It is believed that transparency is the only way to strengthen public institutions which it is highly possible because of the progress in Information and Communication Technology. Nowadays Indonesia is entering the Era of Opennes. The idea of civil society and establisihng social welfare which is the first priority require partnership between the government and public. The whole stakeholder should cooperate to improve accessibility on ICT and should develope information and communication infra structure, and should improve application of ICT in every aspect of public services

The European Public(s) and its Problems

I present three versions –Grimm, Offe and Streeck—of a general argument that is often used to establish that the EU-institutions meets a legitimacy-disabling condition, the so called “no demos” argument (II), embedding them in the context of the notorious “democratic deficit” suspicions against the legal system and practice of the EU (I). After examining the logical structure behind the no-demos intuition considered as an argument (III), I present principled reasons by Möllers and Habermas that show why the “no demos” argument fails to have bite in discussions of the legitimacy and status of the supranational level in the multi-level EU-architecture. These are complemented by another principled reason arising from John Dewey’s conception of the “public” as a clearer alternative for the “popular” requirement of democratic legitimation (IV). I conclude that all three conceptions together suggest that the hunt after pre-politically existing peoples as foundations of democratic legitimacy expresses no more than methodological nationalism without any footing in the material and conceptual requirements of democratic legitimation. Given the absence of a principled problem with the legitimacy of the priority and interference of supranational EU-law in the national legal and political orders, there are thus also no principled reasons to abandon or discredit the European project in the absence of a European nation or society

"If they come they will build it" : managing and building e-democracy from the ground up

The possibilities for using online media to promote deliberative democracy and enhance civic participation have been identified by many. At the same time, the ‘e-democracy score card’ is decidedly mixed, with the tendency of established institutions in both government and the mainstream media to promote a ‘push’ model of communication and information provision, which fails to adapt to the decentralized, networked, interactive and many-to-many forms of communication enabled by the Internet. This paper will discuss the experience of the National Forum, which is building an Australian e-Democracy site of which is the first stage. It aims to be a combination of town-square, shopping centre of ideas, and producers’ co-operative which will allow citizens, talkers, agitators, researchers and legislators to interact with each other individually and through their organisations. Its aim will be to facilitate conversations, and where required, action. This project can be understood from a myriad of angles. At one level it is an open source journalism project, at another it deals with knowledge management. It can also be approached as a forum, an archive, an internet arketing initiative and an eCommerce resource for civil society. Central to the project is the development of feedback mechanisms so that participants can better understand the debates and where they stand in them as well as gauging the mood, desires and interests of the nation on a continuous basis. This paper deals with the practice, theories and economic models underlying the project, and considers the contribution of such sites to community formation and the development of social capital

Deliberative Democracy in the EU. Countering Populism with Participation and Debate. CEPS Paperback

Elections are the preferred way to freely transfer power from one term to the next and from one political party or coalition to another. They are an essential element of democracy. But if the process of power transfer is corrupted, democracy risks collapse. Reliance on voters, civil society organisations and neutral observers to fully exercise their freedoms as laid down in international human rights conventions is an integral part of holding democratic elections. Without free, fair and regular elections, liberal democracy is inconceivable. Elections are no guarantee that democracy will take root and hold, however. If the history of political participation in Europe over the past 800 years is anything to go by, successful attempts at gaining voice have been patchy, while leaders’ attempts to silence these voices and consolidate their own power have been almost constant (Blockmans, 2020). Recent developments in certain EU member states have again shown us that democratically elected leaders will try and use majoritarian rule to curb freedoms, overstep the constitutional limits of their powers, protect the interests of their cronies and recycle themselves through seemingly free and fair elections. In their recent book How Democracies Die, two Harvard professors of politics write: “Since the end of the Cold War, most democratic breakdowns have been caused not by generals and soldiers but by elected governments themselves” (Levitsky and Ziblatt, 2018)