Democratizing Democracy

Democracy is the best form of rule we know-but the moment has come to elevate it – to democratize democracy. Democracy means rule by the people, not rule by parties, politicians, or even experts. At its core, representative democracy is a weak form of democracy-often with a significant democratic deficit. This produces a paradox in which leaders claim to “protect” democracy from the will of the people. The structures of party rule and rule by politicians is, intentionally or not, a brilliant idea for shielding democracy from the popular will-and thus freeing political decision-making from “troublesome” direct democracy with frequent referendums.. Democratizing Democracy argues that both the people and democracy deserve an upgrade: from representative to direct democracy. It is time to complete the unfinished project of democracy. Direct democracy shifts politics from ideology to issues. It is ideology-neutral: questions are decided on their merits, not along party lines. Democracy is not a ceremony every four years; it should be a habit practiced regularly. When decisions return to citizens-openly, verifiably, and often-we do not diminish politics; we civilize it. The horizon is not rule by parties over people, but rule by people over policy. Let the people decide-not once every few years, but whenever it matters. Ballots should not only choose rulers; they should choose rules.