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What will it take to restore American democracy and rescue it from
this moment of crisis? Civic Power argues that the current threat
to US democracy is rooted not just in the outcome of the 2016
election, but in deeper, systemic forms of inequality that
concentrate economic and political power in the hands of the few at
the expense of the many. Drawing on historical and social science
research and case studies of contemporary democratic innovations
across the country, Civic Power calls for a broader approach to
democracy reform focused on meaningfully redistributing power to
citizens. It advocates for both reviving grassroots civil society
and novel approaches to governance, policymaking, civic technology,
and institutional design - aimed at dismantling structural
disparities to build a more inclusive, empowered, bottom-up
democracy, where communities and people have greater voice, power,
and agency.
What will it take to restore American democracy and rescue it from
this moment of crisis? Civic Power argues that the current threat
to US democracy is rooted not just in the outcome of the 2016
election, but in deeper, systemic forms of inequality that
concentrate economic and political power in the hands of the few at
the expense of the many. Drawing on historical and social science
research and case studies of contemporary democratic innovations
across the country, Civic Power calls for a broader approach to
democracy reform focused on meaningfully redistributing power to
citizens. It advocates for both reviving grassroots civil society
and novel approaches to governance, policymaking, civic technology,
and institutional design - aimed at dismantling structural
disparities to build a more inclusive, empowered, bottom-up
democracy, where communities and people have greater voice, power,
and agency.
In a time when citizens are deeply dissatisfied with the basic
institutions and elected officials that govern them, the
participatory budgeting movement empowers citizens to get results
for pressing community needs. It creates a transparent process
where citizens can propose projects through traditional community
meetings or use civic technologies to provide input online, work
with elected officials to craft budget proposals, and vote on where
and how to spend public funds. Unlike other forms of civic
engagement, participatory budgeting involves spending real public
money on the priorities that the community identifies. In this
brief work, Hollie Russon Gilman explains the history and concepts
of participatory budgeting. First used abroad, participatory
budgeting has been piloted in Chicago, New York City, Boston, and
several other cities across the United States since 2009. She
relates participatory budgeting to other forms of civic innovation
and proposes ways for new digital tools to increase entry points
for civic engagement. This brief and accessible work is an ideal
introduction to participatory budgeting for students, scholars, and
practitioners. Georgetown Digital Shorts-longer than an article,
shorter than a book-deliver timely works of peer-reviewed
scholarship for a fast-paced world. They present new ideas and
original content that are easily digestible for students, scholars,
and general readers.
Participatory Budgeting - the experiment in democracy that could
redefine how public budgets are decided in the U.S. Reinvesting in
Democracy is the first comprehensive academic treatment of
participatory budgeting in the United States, situating it within a
broader trend of civic technology and innovation. This global
phenomenon started in Brazil in 1989 but came to America only in
2009. It has recently been called ""revolutionary civics in
action"" by the New York Times. Participatory budgeting empowers
citizens to identify community needs, work with elected officials
to craft budget proposals, and vote on how to spend public funds.
Reinvesting in Democracy places participatory budgeting within the
larger discussion of the health of U.S. democracy and focuses on
the enabling political and institutional conditions. Author and
former White House policy adviser Hollie Russon Gilman presents
theoretical insights, in-depth case studies, and interviews to
offer a compelling alternative to the current citizen disaffection
and mistrust of government. She offers policy recommendations on
how to tap online tools and other technological and civic
innovations to promote more inclusive governance. While the
literature tends to focus on institutional changes without offering
pragmatic ways in which ordinary people can become engaged, this
book suggests practical solutions that empower citizens to become
change agents. Reinvesting in Democracy also includes a discussion
on the challenges and opportunities that come with using digital
tools to re-engage citizens in governance.
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