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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