Have you ever wondered what would happen if people were given the power to decide policy directly?
Many would argue that this is pure fantasy and that such a form of direct or participatory democracy could never function in large, complex societies like our own. This view is not only widespread among the general public but also deeply rooted within the social sciences. But is it true?
Democratic innovations
Representative democracy is under increasing pressure in many countries. Both researchers and citizens have begun to look toward "democratic innovations" - political arrangements that grant citizens greater influence over decision-making processes - as a response to this trend.
However, democratic theory has long been based on the assumption that broad public participation cannot be implemented on a large scale, due to obstacles related to communication, complexity, and collective action.
There are practical experiments that challenge this perspective, such as participatory budgeting at the state level in Brazil, the vTaiwan platform, and the Mondragón worker cooperative. Yet, research has rarely examined in a systematic way how these examples actually overcome such obstacles.
A foundation for a larger research initiative
This research project establishes the empirical and organizational groundwork for a larger research initiative focused on large-scale democratic innovation. The project will:
- Conduct a structured comparative analysis of cases from the Participedia database, focusing on how each case addresses large-scale deliberation, complexity, and collective action
- Select cases for in-depth study
- Establish a research consortium at OsloMet, involving international partners, to develop a FRIPRO grant application for the Research Council of Norway.
This project contributes to OsloMet’s thematic focus area, "A Durable Democracy," by strengthening research on participation, trust, and democratic resilience.
