DEMOCRATIC CULTURAL POLICY: WHICH DEMOCRACY? WHICH CULTURE? WHICH POLICY? Clive Gray De Montfort...

DEMOCRATIC CULTURAL POLICY: WHICH DEMOCRACY? WHICH CULTURE? WHICH POLICY?

Clive GrayDe Montfort University

DEFINING TERMS

• Democracy: mechanisms for participating in making collective decisions

• Culture: what governments define it as being or make policies on

• Policy: choices about courses of action

DEMOCRATIC FORMS

• Direct democracy through voting (referenda)• Representative democracy through elected

representatives (assemblies/executives)• Democratic elitism through stakeholders

(arm’s-length/technocrats)• Deliberative democracy through value

clarification (discursive practices)

ASSESSING FORMS

• Direct/indirect involvement of citizens• Role of policy experts

(technocrats/mediators/facilitators)• Role of elected representatives• Information access/quality

DIRECT DEMOCRACY

• Open vote on a given subject• Inclusive of all• Ignorance? Incompetence? Money talks?

Other issues decide?• ‘Not proven’• Limited evidence• Trust the people?

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY

• Assembly/executive relations• Less inclusive of all: one step removed• Knowledge/expertise/continuity?• Whose interests are served?/cui bono?• Electoral legitimacy• Democratic sub-optimality• ‘High’/’low’ politics

DEMOCRATIC ELITISM

• Public choice between competing groups• Insulation of power-holders from direct

control• Technical/professional/non-party

political/authoritative?• Coherent/focused/accountable?• Technically ‘better’ policies?

DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY

• Based on informed, reflective opinion: ‘talk-centric’

• Active/open engagement of groups/citizens• ‘Better’ policy? Expense?• Symbolic rather than effective engagement?• Who manages the system? How is it

managed? Democratic elitism by another name?

CONSEQUENCES

• Direct/indirect citizen involvement• Role of policy experts• Role of elected representatives• Information access/quality