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Developmental democracy. COMENIUS DENMARK. Definition. Assumes people are inherently good (conceived by John Stuart Mill, 19 th century) Assumes democracy has MORAL purpose Open-minded society Develop civic participation
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Developmental democracy COMENIUS DENMARK
Definition • Assumes people are inherently good (conceived by John Stuart Mill, 19th century) • Assumes democracy has MORAL purpose • Open-minded society • Develop civic participation • Aim: change cultures of poverty and despair into places of agency, variety • Open spacefordevelopment(s)
Who is the citizen? • Agents of their own development • Citizen as the co-creator of a democratic society, not as rights-bearing individuals whose highest act is voting • Self-directing • Should behave out of their interests or their values and not because of external influence “I am asking you not only to believe in my ability to make change, I am asking you to believe in yours.” – BarackObama
What are the main tasks? • Developing civic agency • Creating opportunities for all citizens to contribute their talents, experience, and skills to the process of developing a country (social justice) → collective action dimension “[The] goal is not to put supporters to work but to enable them to put themselves to work.“ – Tim Dickinson, reporter for “Rolling Stone Magazine“
What is the method? Organizing : • Development cannot be done “to” people. People have to become the agents of their own development • Civic action with a strong focus on popular education to develop skills and habits of civic agency
Whatisthegovernment‘srole? • Catalyze the process of political development by passing laws, etc. • Educate the citizens • Secure and check the surrounding conditions
Who is the government worker? • Civic partner • Citizen who is interested in being actively involved in politics • Organizer • of public education through public work • Catalyst • Catalyze the process of developmental democracy
How is self-interest understood? • Integrated and expanded with civic purposes through work → people are interested in public goods → people want to shape state/democracy as they want/for public goods
What is power? Power ofthecitizensto… • … elect a representative • … express one’s opinion • … choose how actively/in which way they participate in politics In comparison to other democratic systems, the citizen has the most power.
http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/downloads/Boyte_Developmental_Democracy.pdf (30.06.2014)
Thank you for your attention! The COMENIUS-group from Germany
Sources • http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/downloads/Boyte_Developmental_Democracy.pdf • http://www.cios.org/EJCPUBLIC/006/2/00629.HTML • AP Govt Theories of Democracy lecture.ppt