Civic Intelligence as Professional Practice

Examples of civic intelligence at the level of government: Gross National Happiness in Bhutan (seems like a good one to address in this chapter!)

It looks like the broad areas within this perspective are: organizational development, policy, and governance...

Case Studies

Deliberation

• How can we organize a deliberation process that matters and avoid ineffective talking without any results?


The first thing we have to do is try. To some degree this is a design process — which is something that academics often eschew. I'd also characterize the work that I'd like to see as being experimental and constructive. I believe that we need to build, somewhat gradually and piecemeal, deliberative systems at the same time that we're building deliberative cultures. 'References: Schuler, D. (2011). Deliberation That Matters -- From Krems, Austria" Posted by House

e-participation: list of questions for Douglas Schuler (From Austrian journalist, Angelika Ohland, May 9, 2011)

• How can an average citizen become a motor for innovation and the implementation of solutions by e-participation?

• Which technical tools does he need? And are they already available?

• How do deliberation networks function? Are there any rules, is there any control? Are there any barriers to participation?

• How can we organize a deliberation process that matters and avoid ineffective talking without any results?

• How can collective thinking help to solve problems in the community? Do you know any examples for successful 
e-participation today?

• Food shortages, despoiled natural resources, economic inequality, wars, dictatorship: Is collective reasoning also able to help to solve global problems?

• What are the characteristic traits of civic intelligence? And on the contrary: How would you describe civic ignorance?

• What do people have to know and to learn for being able to deliberate?

• How influential are age, education, income, regional and cultural factors?

• How can ordinary people with little education become a part of the deliberating community?

• How can we increase the inclusiveness of e-participation?


• Which role will ordinary people play in the new civic society? And will the political and economic elites be less influential in the future?

• Will e-participation implement more grassroots democracy?

• Deliberating networks do not have any democratic legitimation. Can this be changed? How can ideas be transformed into political action?

• Will e-participation change the political institutions?

• Do you think that citizens are interested in e-participation? Aren't they busy enough taking care of their ordinary life? Aren't they relieved if politicians and experts do the job for them?

• Lobbyists spend huge amounts of money to anticipate a debate about the danger of atomic power or the destructive influence of our consuming habits on the climate. Do ordinary people have a chance to see through these aggressive forms of anti-deliberation?

• And at last: Will we be smart enough, soon enough?