Participatory Democracy

Participatory Democracy 

Jean Jacques Rousseau, the exponent of popular sovereignty asserted that sovereignty not only originates in the people, it is also retained by the people despite the transition from the state of nature to civil society.

Democracy is a system that rests the ultimate authority to govern, with the people themselves. But in representative democracies, the participation of people diminishes after choosing their representatives till the next general elections. It became a rule of the elite class in which ordinary citizens play a very limited role at regular intervals. Political participation is a manifestation of a strong awareness of public interest.

Justifying the instrumental features of democracy, Rousseau correlated freedom to democracy. Freedom for Rousseau is the individual's pursuit of self-interest.

He articulated a positive notion of freedom i.e., individuals are free only when they participate directly, actively, and continuously in shaping the life of the community, especially in the making of laws. For him, lawmaking was an exercise of sovereignty that cannot be transferred or represented by anyone else which is an expression of the will of the people.

Justification for citizen participation -

  1. Instrumental view - Promoting and defending the interests of the participant
  2. Developmental or Educational view - enhances citizen's moral, social, and political awareness
  3. Communitarian view - Citizen participation contributes to the common good.

In modern large-scale states, the objectives of participatory democracy can be achieved through

  1. Decentralization of power to local communities. Ex - Panchayati Raj in India
  2. Use of Referendum. Ex - In Australia, the referendum is compulsory on any constitutional amendment.

The advancement of technology, the spread of reach of media and the Internet, devolution of powers to local bodies made participation possible in large and diverse societies.

Beyond a reasonable limit, participatory democracy may prove harmful as those who have the skill to mobilize crowds will be able to secure their unreasonable demands whereas those who try to present their case peacefully and modestly will go unheard.

Participation was a full-time occupation of the citizen. The purpose of political participation was the common good of the state.

Citizen participation is not only a necessary condition of a good society, but a basic feature of a good society. It provides for an elaborate discussion of public issues, keeps a strict watch on the activities of politicians, and prevents corruption and abuse of power.

Elitist vs Participatory Democracy -

Elitist theory of democracy conceives democracy as a competition between two or more elite groups for the power to govern the whole society, requiring only a low level of citizen participation.

Participatory democracy repudiates the elitist model of democracy. Political participation refers to the active involvement of individuals and groups in the governmental processes.

 Difference between participative and deliberative democracy. UPSC 2015 Paper 1A Qn 1d

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