Democratic Innovations beyond the State

• In Event: Citizens' Assemblies, Media, and Civil Society

Abstract

The role of non-state actors in the promotion of democratic innovations has been understudied and, consequently, underestimated. In Latin America, civil society has played an essential role in transitions to democracy, and it continues to be an essential force after democratic consolidation. Civil society organizations (CSOs), international development organizations (IOs), and private stakeholders (PSs) are important players when it comes to promoting new designs for citizen participation, the so-called democratic innovations.
This paper relies on data on democratic innovations that evolved in 18 countries in Latin America from 1990 to 2020 to analyze the role of CSOs, IOs, and PSs in the promotion of new designs for citizen participation. It makes three main claims. First, state-led citizen participation decreases after the end of the left turn in Latin America around 2015, making room for non-state actors to innovate by means of digital engagement. Second, the existing patterns and most frequent designs of democratic innovations change as non-state actors take the lead in the promotion of citizen participation. Third, while CSOs are the main non-state actor that pushes democratic innovation in Latin America, IOs and PSs have been crucial partners to both CSOs and governments. The paper concludes by arguing that the more citizen participation turns digital in the next years, the greater should be the opportunities for PSs to partner with both CSOs and governments to improve democracy in Latin America.

Author

• Thamy Pogrebinschi, WZB Berlin Social Science Center