Monday 15 March 2010

Democracy - Down and Dirty. Results

Results from our debate on Thursday 18th Mar.


We debated the issue of democracy and how to bring it closer to the people. The most strongly supported statements are shown below (all bullets are verbatim statements which achieved at least 70% support from the group)


IMPROVING DEMOCRACY
  • it would be an improvement if rulers stay in touch with citizens at all times
  • [politicians need] direct connection with citizens and their wishes
  • There should be large-scale online discussions on every important topic. Politicians and experts would have to discuss the results in open debates.
  • the principle is worth preserving, but how it works in practice should be improved
  • Give citizen points for engagement. Encourage participation at all levels
VALUE OF DEMOCRACY
  • freedom to choose our rulers
  • it means to me to be able to influence how the country is run
  • democracy guarantees human rights in a way that other political systems do not
APPETITE FOR INTERACTIVE DEMOCRACY 
On average the group were prepared to vote monthly on issues. Here are some of their reasons
  • depends an careful selection of issues only important ones
  • I'd be much more interested in voting on issues than for political parties, none of whom wholly represent my views
  • more direct influence in decision and policy making
This word picture shows the recurring words - the size is an indication of how much they were mentioned / supported.



Vote with your feet (and your fingers) make a valid contribution by joining our next live social brainstorm on Thurs 15th April. More details comong soon.

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