1. The Democratic Society
Big democracy

2. Traditional democracy is in trouble...
UK voter turnout at General Elections UK voter turnout at General Elections
THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY
1950-1969 average 2000-2010 average
Source: International IDEA http://www.demsoc.org

3. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY and so is traditional Government.
Photo: Flickr/NoHoDamon http://www.demsoc.org

4. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY The new Government wants
More localism
Greater public
participation in politics
A Big Society to step in
as the State steps back
Photos: Town Offices, Lexington Mass,, by Brian Mahoney; Crowd scene by Arinudh Koul (Flickr);
Barn-raising in Lansing, MI from Wikimedia Commons http://www.demsoc.org

5. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY For that, we need a better democracy ...
Photo: Speaker Michael Martin in procession through Central Lobby, from House of Commons website. http://www.demsoc.org

6. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ( as many of the public would agree )
http://www.demsoc.org

7. What does better democracy look like
?
THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY
http://www.demsoc.org

8. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Not like Spending Challenge
• Few incentives for neutrals to
get involved
• No evidence
• Easy to colonise
• No follow-up to ideas, or
collation of similar ones
• No sense of community or
discussion
http://www.demsoc.org

9. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Not like traditional volunteering
• Small scale
• Single issue (or single
community)
• Founded on intensive
contribution of few people
• Based around organisations,
with the organisational
survivalism that entails
http://www.demsoc.org

10. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Not like the same old consultations
• Background & context remain
with officials
• Politics kept out of the picture
when really it is the picture
• Opinions are sought, not
discussions
• The decision rarely changes
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11. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY It needs better dialogue
Where people can see the
trade-offs they make
Where mass participation
is realistically possible
Where the divide between
governors and governed is
more permeable
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12. The web can deliver better democracy
...
THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY
... but not on its own.
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13. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Offline has to support online ...
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14. Government has to change its
behaviour
THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY
http://www.demsoc.org

15. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY We have to change ours
Global warming fears are just that, fears; like everyone with a
cold thinks they have the pig flu. In the great scale of things
even a million years is just a blink and the green crowd think More stupidity from this discredited administration. What other country has
they can foretell the future by sticking their heads out of the so wilfully 'hamstrung' its industry and introduced legislation which will cost
window! The government promote the fear to raises tax. The the general populace so much?
nut-cutlet and sandal brigade do it because it is the latest
fashion.
As I sit here, looking out of my window at a beautiful 81
degrees, I wonder if I should put on my bikini and sarong
So let's get this straight. We don't emit a trace element quantity and do a bit of sunbathing! Of course, I have "massaged"
of essential, life-giving gas and we BENEFIT by £1 Trillion? the figure, in cardiff it is barely 14 degrees and, when you
There's not even any flippin warming that can be shown to be
out of the ordinary, and for ten years there's been flat or cooling add the wind-chill factor, ITS DAMN COLD AND I STILL
temperatures. CO2 driven warming my hat. This is obscene, HAVE THE HEATING ON. In MAY!!!
ideologically driven fraud. Insanity, nothing less. We can ALL massage the figures to suit, milliband,
this,make no mistake, is just ANOTHER SCAM TO TAKE
Global warming is just a con to milk taxes from the ordinary person. EVEN MORE OF OUR HARD EARNED MONEY!!!
It would be interesting to see just who has heavy
investments in the 'Green' Industries.
Government Ministers?; MPs?; Anyone care to
place a bet?
One way to fill the tax gap ZaNu liebour have
created. Green taxes are the new window tax.
Why not just stop packing this small island with
immigrants, that would reduce our carbon
Just why are governments clinging to the hoax that CO2 footprint better than more tax.
forces 'Global Warming' ? It is scientific fact that the earth is
in a cooling phase and has been for the past 9 years. More If Labour ministers say there is a huge risk from so-called
CO2 - the gas of life - can only be beneficial to our global warming, then it is clear that the whole thing is
biosphere and human environment and well-being. rubbish. Those of us who are "climate change denyers"
are labelled by the enviro-hippies as on a par with
holocaust denyiers, but their whole premise is based on
poor science. None of the original computer models have
been even CLOSE to what we are experiencing now.
Comments on Daily Mail article “recommended” by more than 50 users, 5 May 2009. http://www.demsoc.org

16. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Who knows what Big Society is ?
http://www.demsoc.org

17. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY But there are some things we can do
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18. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY 1. Find people willing to hold the ring
even on difficult issues
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19. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY 2. Go where the discussion is
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20. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY 3. Get government to listen better
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21. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY 4. Create shared civic spaces
• Online and offline
• Picking content from
everywhere
• Bringing everyone in
• Testing methods for
engagement
• Producing useful output
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22. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY 5. Build a positive feedback loop
Government invests time
in informing & participating
Government willing
to invest time again Discussions produce
useful output
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23. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY 6. Network the groups
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24. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY 7. Build out
and work to stay diverse & representative
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25. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY
Presentation by Anthony Zacharzewski for the
Democratic Society 2012
http://www.demsoc.org