Democracy: process or project?

For #democracyday on the BBC this morning, Professor Michael Sandel hosted a lively debate about whether democracy works. He summed up by drawing a difference between democracy as process and democracy as project.

Instead of conversations around first past the post vs. proportional representation, let’s make a project to ensure democracy addresses the stuff we care about.

Democracy as a project…

…means it makes us better than we would be if we took no part.

…it’s not just about voting, it’s about reasoning together

…it’s about debating the big questions, contending with disagreements

…it’s about developing the art of listening, cultivating the habits of civility and ultimately coming to care for the common good.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/30876658?ocid=socialflow_twitter