Democratic Innovations

In this episode, we focus on the role that technological solutions have in the field of democratic innovations and democracy in a broader sense. Together with Tiago Peixoto, political scientist and Senior Governance Specialist at the World Bank, and Álvaro Oleart, postdoctoral researcher at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, we critically address many aspects of the use of technological devices fo...

In this episode, we focus on the role that grassroots forces have in shaping democratic innovations. Together with Donatella della Porta, Professor of Political Science, founding dean of the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, and Director of the PhD programme in Political Science and Sociology at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Florence, and Andrea Felicetti, Assistant Professor at the Univ...

In this episode, we raise critical questions about the political landscape within which democratic innovations are expected to improve our democracies. Together with Petra Guasti, Associate Professor of Democratic Theory at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University in Prague, we focus on the growth of political polarisation and populism, and on the implications of illiberal values for i...

In this episode, we move toward an understanding of democratic innovations from the perspective of critical political economy. Together with Adrian Bua, researcher at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, we highlight the structural power dynamics that inevitably shape citizen engagement within the political system and society more broadly.

In this episode, we take a critical look at the multiple sources of oppression in contemporary society. Together with Sonia Bussu, Associate Professor in Public Policy at the University of Birmingham and scientific coordinator of the EU project INSPIRE, we explore how marginalised communities can be meaningfully included in participatory and deliberative processes.

In this episode, we focus on the role that Democratic Innovations play within democratic systems, with a particular emphasis on public administration. Together with Prof. Stephen Elstub and Dr. Rikki Dean, we reflect on trade-offs and opportunities. Bureaucracy is not the only answer, and public administration is not synonymous with bureaucracy. Public officials should be acknowledged as key actor...

In this episode we focus on the pathways of democratic innovations through the multiple crises that challenge our democracies, starting from the crisis of democracy itself. Together with Prof. Graham Smith and Prof. Oliver Escobar, we interrogate the alleged success of climate assemblies, we discuss the success of new technologies applied to democratic systems, and their impact on citizen particip...

In this episode we question whether and how democratic innovations enhance citizen trust. Together with Professor Brigitte Geissel and Doctor Francesco Veri, we dive into trust in the political system and government. We reflect on trust among citizens within participatory and deliberative initiatives in consolidated democracies. Finally, we interrogate the emotional and cognitive underpinnings of...

In this first episode, we question the assumption that democratic innovations enhance democracy. Professors Mark Warren and Thamy Pogrebinschi guide us through a deep dive into the issues of democracy deficits, social polarisation, and the engineering of democratic innovations as possible context-based solutions. We also examine the evolving role of digital tools and social movements in shaping th...