Democratic Society Introduction

The Democratic Society

A place for citizens
An introduction to the Democratic Society

4.0

Part One
THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

Starving in the
midst of plenty

http://www.demsoc.org


Everyone knows
traditional politics is in
trouble ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... falling turnouts ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... corruption scandals ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... disengaged young people ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... low trust in politicians ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... and general apathy.



But, away from politics,
this is the age of
democracy.


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Adverts tell us we can take control ...

... by buying a newspaper

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY We can take a stand ...

... by buying a bar of soap

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY We can even change the world ...

... by using a computer operating system

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Everywhere, you can have it your way ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... tell people what you think ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... even vote people o TV shows.


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY This is the age of mass personalisation


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY It’s the triumph of democracy



So why is politics doing
so badly ?



Part Two

Consumer democracy -
even better than the real
thing


Representative democracy
is about mass compromise,
not mass personalisation


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY It is the art of getting a group of people ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... with di erent views ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... to come together around a manifesto ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... and win over swing voters ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... in order to govern for four years.


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY There’s no room to have it your way.


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY If you’re used to personalisation ...

Vote that guy o Big Brother Ten seconds

Tell that Times columnist that
One minute
he’s an idiot

Have my burger without mayonnaise Five minutes

Buy made-to-measure jeans One week


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... politics is always going to disappoint

Vote that guy o Big Brother Ten seconds

Tell that Times columnist that
One minute
he’s an idiot

Have my burger without mayonnaise Five minutes

Buy made-to-measure jeans One week

Change a government Four years,
policy I don’t like if you’re lucky


So, election turnout has fallen ...
UK voter turnout at General Elections UK voter turnout at General Elections

1950-1969 average 2000-2009 average

Source: International IDEA http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... here and elsewhere ...

Years of highest and lowest election turnout since 1945
in selected mature democracies*

100

90

80

70

60
Highest turnouts all before 1980
All but 2 lowest turnouts after 1995
50
1945 1958 1971 1984 1997 2010
Highest Lowest

Source: International IDEA. *Parliamentary elections in all EU member states that have been democracies continuously since 1950, plus US
(presidential), Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Iceland & Norway. Countries with compulsory voting excluded. Germany = West Germany
before 1990.

... mostly among the young ...
UK voter turnout 2005 UK voter turnout 2005

Voters aged 65 and over Voters aged under 25

Source: British Election Survey 2005 http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... and the not-as-young-as-they-once-were.
After 1992, abstention started
increasing among older age groups too
60
18-24
50 35-44
65-74
40

30

20

10

0
64

66

70

a

b

79

83

87

92

97

01

05
74

74

20
19

19
19
19

19
19

19
19

20
19

19

Source: British Election Survey 2005 http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Party membership is also down

Change in party membership numbers in 13 European countries, 1980-2000

0

-10

-20

-30
%

-40

-50

-60

-70
ce

ly

UK

y

d

s

ia

nd

en

k

nd

ium

y
nd

ar
wa

an
an
Ita

str
an

ed
la

la
m
rla

m
nl

lg
or

Au

er

Ire
Fr

en
Sw

er
Fi

Be
N

he

itz

D

G
et

Sw
N

Source: Mair & Van Biezen, Party Membership in 20 European Democracies in Party Politics v 7 (2001). http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Politics is becoming a hobby ...

Image: Trainspotter (Wikimedia Commons) http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... and not a very popular one.
Membership of selected UK organisations
4

3
members (millions)

2

1

0
st

PB

ion

ty

s

y*

ur

)

s
ng
ive

em
ru

cie

bo
r
RS

bu
un
lT

li
at

D
yc
La
So

n
rv
na

B

b
(C
to
se
M

Li
in
io

las
n
lke
G

TC
at

Co

G
N

To

C
Source: News reports 2007-9 and corporate websites. * Glastonbury = 2008 attendance http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Meanwhile people turn to minor parties ...

Vote share of larger minor parties in European Parliament elections

20
UKIP Green BNP

15
%

10

5

0
1989 1994 1999 2004 2009

Source: UK O ce of the European Parliament http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... and campaign groups ...

2004

1973

1999 1997
1975

2004

1934

1989

2001


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... creating a sort of outsourced politics ...

MORE TRAINS !

£

LOWER TAXES !

£


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... with no need for compromises or trade-o s

MORE HOSPITALS !

?
£

LOWER TAXES !

£


Part Three

New ! Politics-ﬂavored
technocracy*

* contains no actual politics http://www.demsoc.org


As the general public
have withdrawn, politics
has become a closed and
technocratic world


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Politics was always a small world ...

(the ratio of elected politicians to citizens in the UK is the same as the
ratio of seats in an executive box to seats in Wembley Stadium)

Elected politicians = MPs, MEPs, Councillors (other than Parish Councillors), and members of devolved institutions http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... but now politicians are more similar ...
Employment background of MPs

80

60
Professional & White Collar
Business
Manual
40

20

0
1987 1992 1997 2001 2005

Source: House of Commons Library http://www.demsoc.org

... and have similar lifestyles.
Gerald Kaufman’s James Arbuthnot’s

expenses claims expenses claims
• $2,750 rug from New • £2,749 tree pruning
York • £2,433 housekeeper
• £8,000 Bang & wages
Olufsen BeoVision
40” television
• £341 Aga servicing
• £1,471 swimming pool
• £600 carpet from maintenance
Harrods
• £2,340 replacement
• £3,000 Bosch and windows
Miele kitchen
appliances

Source: Daily Telegraph http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Can you tell who’s from which party ?

A B

• Born Blackburn, 1890 • Born London, 1904
• Left school aged 11 • Educated at
• Assistant in weaver’s Winchester & Oxford
shed • Worked in the City
• Later career as a • Director of a railway
brewer under Franco
• Served as local • Art collector
councillor • Education minister
• Education minister


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Not too di cult for post-war politicians

George Tomlinson (Lab) David Eccles (Cons)

• Born Blackburn, 1890 • Born London, 1904
• Left school aged 11 • Educated at
• Assistant in weaver’s Winchester & Oxford
shed • Worked in the City
• Later career as a • Director of a railway
brewer under Franco
• Served as local • Art collector
councillor • Education minister
• Education minister


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY How about now?

A B

• Born Edinburgh, 1967 • Born Norwich, 1967
• Public school • Public school
• Oxford University • Oxford University
• Journalist • Journalist
• Think tank • Think tank
• Entered Parliament • Entered Parliament
2005 2005
• Education brief • Education brief


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Much more di cult

Michael Gove (Cons) Ed Balls (Lab)

• Born Edinburgh, 1967 • Born Norwich, 1967
• Public school • Public school
• Oxford University • Oxford University
• Journalist • Journalist
• Think tank • Think tank
• Entered Parliament • Entered Parliament
2005 2005
• Education brief • Education brief


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Politics has become a life-long career

Career backgrounds of MPs

90
Politics
80
Manual labour
70
Number of MPs

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1987 1992 1997 2001 2005

Source: House of Commons Library http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY The battleground is narrower ...

Source: Labour poster from 1930s (Spartacus); Conservative campaign logo (Conservative Party website); BBC News
article; Margaret Thatcher (BBC)

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... and the battles harder to understand.

Source: “Reconstruction” Conservative policy statement on the economy, page 8 http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Consultation has replaced decision ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... and it’s not the same thing at all

Even when the UK Government consulted on a very controversial issue - the future
of nuclear power - there were only 1,784 responses from the public - and more than a
third of consultation responses were from professionals, technicians or lobby groups

136 109 173
397 Academics
Business
Government
139
Individual
Lobby group
Other
1,784

Participants in consultation on future of UK Nuclear Power

Source: Department for Energy and Climate Change. Academics includes consultants. http://www.demsoc.org

Part Four

A few moments with our
heads in our hands



So we have ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY People who want to engage ...
EU voters asked “do you approve of the
German voters asked “should there be a Swiss government model, with greater use
referendum on the Lisbon Treaty?” of referendums?”

No No
23% 30%

Yes
Yes 70%
77%

German poll: Open Europe 2009. EU poll: Eurobarometer 1997 (EU = 1997 member states) Photos: World Naked
Bike Ride Brighton (Nick Sayers), Tea Party Day protest, Orlando (Instapundit), “Downtown for all” campaign http://www.demsoc.org
lobbying Seattle City Council, 2006 (Real Change)

... but don’t trust the system
Would trust Would not trust
Net %ge saying a member of that profession/group

100% “would tell the truth”

75% Journalists

Politicians generally
86% 83%
50% Ministers

Business leaders
25% Trade union officials

14% 17% Civil servants
0%
Pollsters
Parliament Civil service
Man in the street

Police

TV News DON’T TRUST DO TRUST

Scientists

Priests

Judges

Academics

Teachers

Doctors

-75 -50 -25 0 25 50 75 100

Trust: Henley Centre report, quoted in Strategy Unit 2002 Risk report; Never Trust A Politician image, Nuno
Machado Lopes; Trust in professions: MORI/BMA/Parliamentary Monitor 2003

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY And a system that wants to be open ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... but can’t change itself enough.



Tricky.



Let’s start by looking at
some good ideas that
won’t work


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Reviving the party system

+ =


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Tinkering with the electoral system
Electoral turnout, New Zealand

100

90

80

70
Proportional representation
introduced from 1996 election
60

50
1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008

Source: New Zealand Electoral Commission http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Fixed-term Parliaments

UK Parliamentary & US Congressional midterm elections
Electoral turnout in seven most recent cycles, indexed (ﬁrst election in 1980s = 100)

110
variable terms
100

90

80
ﬁxed terms
70
USA UK
60
7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Source: International IDEA http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY More consultations

Image: Welsh Assembly Government. Statistic: Welsh Conservative Party website

Just one of 92 consultation documents issued
by the Welsh Assembly Government in
the ﬁrst six months of 2009

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Redistributing power within the political class


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Listening more to campaign groups

LOWER TAXES !

EVEN LOWER TAXES !



Before I talk about our
proposal, let’s have ...


Part Five

A brief historical
interlude



Once upon a time, there
was a great hope for
democracy, called


The Internet


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY In the 90s, it was a new democratic arena ...

Electric Minds virtual community front page, 1996 (retrieved from rheingold.com) http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... a space beyond government ...
GOVERNMENTS of the Industrial World, you weary
giants of ﬂesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new
home of Mind. On behalf of the future, I ask you of the
past to leave us alone. You are not welcome among us. You
have no sovereignty where we gather.
We have no elected government, nor are we likely to have
one, so I address you with no greater authority than that
with which liberty itself always speaks. I declare the global
social space we are building to be naturally independent of
the tyrannies you seek to impose on us. You have no moral
right to rule us nor do you possess any methods of
enforcement we have true reason to fear.
[...] Cyberspace does not lie within your borders. Do not
think that you can build it, as though it were a public
construction project. You cannot. It is an act of nature and
it grows itself through our collective actions.
John Perry Barlow (pictured), Declaration of the
Independence of Cyberspace, 1996


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... where a new Athens would arise.

Hold still ! I can’t
read facebook if you
jiggle it

Photo: Marble at Getty Villa, Santa Monica (Simon Bisson/Flickr) http://www.demsoc.org


I think we all know it
hasn’t quite worked out
like that.


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY The internet encourages views to cluster ...

Map of political blogosphere during the 2008 US Presidential Election, Harvard Internet & Democracy blog http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... privileges extreme positions ...
BBC Have Your Say, day after Euro elections, 2009
Actual votes for BNP & UKIP vs
30 most recommended comments to question
mainstream parties, June 2009
“Is Britain entering a new political age?”

Other UKIP + BNP
20% 23%

Pro-BNP/Pro-UKIP Mainstream parties
80% 77%

Source: Democratic Society analysis; BBC http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... and drowns out facts with ranting.

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 of essential, life-giving gas and we BENEFIT by £1 and do a bit of sunbathing! Of course, I have "massaged"
Trillion? There's not even any flippin warming that can be the figure, in cardiff it is barely 14 degrees and, when you
shown to be out of the ordinary, and for ten years there's been add the wind-chill factor, ITS DAMN COLD AND I STILL
flat or cooling temperatures. CO2 driven warming my hat. HAVE THE HEATING ON. In MAY!!!
This is obscene, 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
footprint better than more tax.
Just why are governments clinging to the hoax that CO2
forces 'Global Warming' ? It is scientific fact that the earth
is in a cooling phase and has been for the past 9 years. If Labour ministers say there is a huge risk from so-
More CO2 - the gas of life - can only be beneficial to our called global warming, then it is clear that the whole
thing is rubbish. Those of us who are "climate change
biosphere and human environment and well-being. 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

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY It is prone to verbal diarrhoea ...

US Constitution

Animal Farm

Typical novel

Pride & Prejudice

More than 9 hours of reading
One day on Comment is Free at average reading speed
0

00

00

00

0

0
00

00
,0

,0

,0

0,

0,
30

60

90

12

15
One day on Comment is Free = Estimated words posted on CiF on 9 May 2008. Calculated by averaging comment
lengths on 20 randomly selected threads then multiplying average comment length by total comment count

... and lacks common political space.
Top ten political blogs, by Technorati authority

?



It’s not all bad, though.
The Internet has been
great for ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Transparency ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... information sharing ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... international links ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... political campaigning ...

Image source: Teehan + Lax http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... and access to a range of news and comment.



So, the question we ask is ...



Can we take the accessibility, information and
passion of the Net and combine them with
the common spaces, shared rules and need
for compromise of the political world ?



Part Six

Yes, we can (try) !



Our starting point:

Politicians, academics and campaign groups
can’t reform democracy on their own.



To change politics, we have to make a
demand of everyone:



Decide to be a citizen !



The Democratic Society is there to support
that decision. It aims to build:


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY A network of local organisations ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... dedicated to citizenship ...

Information Discussion Voting

Source: Wellcome images http://www.demsoc.org

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


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Online and o ine support each other...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... involving members in national debates.

Image: Hospital from Dempeus; Soldier, Wikimedia commons http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY It is run on democratic lines ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... locally and centrally.


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY It concentrates on easy participation ...
accessible for someone who only has ten minutes


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... and allows the best arguments to rise ...

Marked as “essential reading”
by the debate leader


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... so people can pick them up quickly.

View all • View only “essential reading”


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY There is a regular schedule for votes ...

Image: Pocket calendar by Joe Lanman/Flickr http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... so media and politicians can pick them up ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... then the issue is closed for a while.


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Membership is open to all ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... but isn’t a free-for-all.


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Data is open ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... and easy to access on di erent devices.


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY It gives members chances to lead ...

Images: Planning consultation meeting, Saipan, Marianas Islands http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... and to gain political skills.

Images: Irish Ambassador making a speech at an event in London (Journalists’ Charity) http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Members too shy or too busy to debate ...

Image: Wellcome images http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... can explore issues ...

Image: Wellcome images http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... and participate in votes remotely.


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY We will have to start small ...

Image: Wikimedia commons http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... but will have scalability built in ...

Image: Legoland’s Schloß Neuschwanstein source: Wikimedia Commons. http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... and a goal of being the most popular ...

Image by kind permission of Andy Keetch, taken by @garagestudios http://www.demsoc.org

THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... most authoritative, most trusted ...


THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... place for citizens.



Presentation by Anthony Zacharzewski
for the Democratic Society, April 2010

ajz10@demsoc.org | @anthonyzach

Version 2


Democratic Society Introduction

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