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Think tanks call for ground-up democratic renewal

-01/06/05

As the governing elites in Europeís largest nation states prepare for the Netherlands EU constitution vote following Franceís referendum ënoí, a leading British think tank has added its voice to those saying that European democracies are facing a crisis of representation which calls into question their current political capacity.

Demos makes the claim in a new monograph, Everyday Democracy: Why We Get the Politicians We Deserve, written by director Tom Bentley and published on the web today.

Bentley, a confidante of advisors close to the UK Labour government, highlights the dangers of growing public disengagement with the political process and the vacuity of the ëstrong leaderí culture.

The think tank contends that ì[t]he failure of our political institutions to address issues of concern to voters is leading to a crisis of legitimacy, characterised by apathy and the rise of extremist parties.î

It says that ì[t]he sense of being controlled or influenced by distant forces over which there is no control or accountability leads directly to the forms of protest and backlash that can be seen in todayís anti-political movements.î

Bentleyís essay points to research which suggests that 76 percent of European voters do not trust political parties and only 7 percent believe that such parties can protect them from the effects of globalisation.

ìWe get the politicians we deserve,î says Bentley, a former adviser to government minister David Blunkett. ìAs voters, we have unrealistic expectations of our leaders and their ability to deliver far-reaching change. People inevitably feel disappointed … and many react by opting out of the democratic process altogether.î

He goes on: ìall the main parties are currently obsessed by a ‘strong leader myth’ which will do nothing to restore Ö our political culture.î

Demosís portrait of politicians struggling to gain support from disenchanted electorates reluctant to face the realities of global change echoes pre-General Election analysis from the religious think-tank Ekklesia.

In Questioning Political Leadership, Ekklesia associate Simon Barrow says that ì[w]hen people are not sure what or who to trust any more, they search instead for someone who looks like they know, for a ëstrong leaderí.î But strong-arm politics is a facade behind which lies a lack of ìcivic imaginationî.

ìDeep down people want to leave the mess of politics to someone elseî, argues Barrow. ìThey are unable or unwilling to commit to a future where the flourishing of planet and people might take priority over the womb-like desire for comfort at all costs.î

The idea that ìwe get the politicians we deserveî is only ìfitfully trueî, given that ìthis ëweí embraces a multitude of contradictory tendenciesî, he suggests. ìWhat may be nearer the case is that our elected leaders tell us something about who and where we are politically, culturally, socially and even religiously.î

Both Demos and Ekklesia say that the renewal of public debate requires its extension to new civic arenas and the development of more participatory forms of political life. But Ekklesia sees protests against corporate politics as a hopeful sign and takes a more critical stance towards consumerist culture and the Blair project.

According to Demosí latest report, ì[p]olitical and constitutional reform alone will not serve to re-engage these citizens; instead, we urgently need an approach to democracy built from the bottom up, which creates opportunities for democratic decision-making in our everyday lives and seeks new ways to connect these decisions with large scale institutions.î

Author Tom Bentley points to practical ways whereby families, workplaces, schools and media can incorporate democratic decision-making. These include creating rights of initiative and petition; introducing more neighbourhood governance; and promoting models of democratic organisation in the business, public and charity sectors.

Meanwhile Ekklesiaís Simon Barrow says that a deeper change of culture and conviction is required. He believes that churches and faith communities can play a constructive role in making this happen, but only if they abandon attempts at control based on privilege.

ìPlural societies that offer freedom for both religion and non-religion require neither a naked public square nor one dominated by special interestsî, argues Barrow in How the Cross Marks Our Ballot. ìInstead they need civic and political arenas where different actors can cooperate and contest without fear or favour.î


Find books now:

Think tanks call for ground-up democratic renewal

-01/06/05

As the governing elites in Europe’s largest nation states prepare for the Netherlands EU constitution vote following France’s referendum ëno’, a leading British think tank has added its voice to those saying that European democracies are facing a crisis of representation which calls into question their current political capacity.

Demos makes the claim in a new monograph, Everyday Democracy: Why We Get the Politicians We Deserve, written by director Tom Bentley and published on the web today.

Bentley, a confidante of advisors close to the UK Labour government, highlights the dangers of growing public disengagement with the political process and the vacuity of the ëstrong leader’ culture.

The think tank contends that ‘[t]he failure of our political institutions to address issues of concern to voters is leading to a crisis of legitimacy, characterised by apathy and the rise of extremist parties.’

It says that ‘[t]he sense of being controlled or influenced by distant forces over which there is no control or accountability leads directly to the forms of protest and backlash that can be seen in today’s anti-political movements.’

Bentley’s essay points to research which suggests that 76 percent of European voters do not trust political parties and only 7 percent believe that such parties can protect them from the effects of globalisation.

‘We get the politicians we deserve,’ says Bentley, a former adviser to government minister David Blunkett. ‘As voters, we have unrealistic expectations of our leaders and their ability to deliver far-reaching change. People inevitably feel disappointed … and many react by opting out of the democratic process altogether.’

He goes on: ‘all the main parties are currently obsessed by a ‘strong leader myth’ which will do nothing to restore Ö our political culture.’

Demos’s portrait of politicians struggling to gain support from disenchanted electorates reluctant to face the realities of global change echoes pre-General Election analysis from the religious think-tank Ekklesia.

In Questioning Political Leadership, Ekklesia associate Simon Barrow says that ‘[w]hen people are not sure what or who to trust any more, they search instead for someone who looks like they know, for a ëstrong leader’.’ But strong-arm politics is a facade behind which lies a lack of ‘civic imagination’.

‘Deep down people want to leave the mess of politics to someone else’, argues Barrow. ‘They are unable or unwilling to commit to a future where the flourishing of planet and people might take priority over the womb-like desire for comfort at all costs.’

The idea that ‘we get the politicians we deserve’ is only ‘fitfully true’, given that ‘this ëwe’ embraces a multitude of contradictory tendencies’, he suggests. ‘What may be nearer the case is that our elected leaders tell us something about who and where we are politically, culturally, socially and even religiously.’

Both Demos and Ekklesia say that the renewal of public debate requires its extension to new civic arenas and the development of more participatory forms of political life. But Ekklesia sees protests against corporate politics as a hopeful sign and takes a more critical stance towards consumerist culture and the Blair project.

According to Demos’ latest report, ‘[p]olitical and constitutional reform alone will not serve to re-engage these citizens; instead, we urgently need an approach to democracy built from the bottom up, which creates opportunities for democratic decision-making in our everyday lives and seeks new ways to connect these decisions with large scale institutions.’

Author Tom Bentley points to practical ways whereby families, workplaces, schools and media can incorporate democratic decision-making. These include creating rights of initiative and petition; introducing more neighbourhood governance; and promoting models of democratic organisation in the business, public and charity sectors.

Meanwhile Ekklesia’s Simon Barrow says that a deeper change of culture and conviction is required. He believes that churches and faith communities can play a constructive role in making this happen, but only if they abandon attempts at control based on privilege.

‘Plural societies that offer freedom for both religion and non-religion require neither a naked public square nor one dominated by special interests’, argues Barrow in How the Cross Marks Our Ballot. ‘Instead they need civic and political arenas where different actors can cooperate and contest without fear or favour.’