Time to Save Democracy : How to Govern Ourselves in the Age of Anti-Politics

To govern ourselves or not? That is the existential question of politics. In light of the recent surges of political extremism—and the alienation and distrust that follow—in both the United States and Europe, ensuring the perseverance of democratic self-rule now feels particularly precarious. Time to Save Democracy tackles the daunting challenges of the current moment head-on. With clear, accessible prose, Henry Tam sets out to explore what exactly should be done to revive democracy. Moving beyond familiar ‘get the vote out’-style idea, Tam sets out nine key areas where reforms are necessary to ensure we can govern ourselves more effectively, touching on notions of having a shared mission and mutual respect among politically dissimilar groups, the importance of public accountability for elected officials, and sustaining the power balance between the government and its constituents. Dispelling the suggestion that democracy has run its course, this book serves as a powerful reminder of why democratic governance is indispensable. Intro -- TIME TO SAVE DEMOCRACY -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction: Democracy in distress -- The symptoms -- Misdiagnosis -- The key to political health -- Part 1. Has democracy a future? -- 1. Why we need democracy -- Four classic governance strategies -- Democracy as a meta-strategy -- Nine challenges for democratic governance -- 2. Rethinking how we govern -- Towards a holistic approach -- Democracy subverted -- Towards nine remedies for democratic governance -- Part 2. How to sustain democratic togetherness -- 3. Shared mission -- Why we need a shared mission -- The problem of pseudo-shared missions -- How to cultivate shared missions -- 4. Mutual respect -- Why democracy must be underpinned by mutual respect -- Rights, respect, and reciprocity -- How to advance mutual respect -- 5. Coherent membership -- Why democracy needs coherent membership -- Contested notions of group membership -- How to improve democratic membership -- Part 3. How to underpin democratic objectivity -- 6. Collaborative learning -- Democratic objectivity and collaborative learning -- Learning about learning -- How to develop collaborative learning -- 7. Critical re-examination -- Why democracy depends on critical re-examination -- What is wrong with hyper-critiques -- How to embed critical re-examination in the way we govern -- 8. Responsible communication -- Why we need responsible communication -- Media power's real impact on democracy -- How to foster responsible communication -- Part 4. How to achieve democratic power balance -- 9. Participatory decision making -- Why decision making needs members' participation -- The problem with superficial participation -- How to advance participatory decision making -- 10. Civic parity -- Why democracy is dependent on civic parity -- The problem with misconceiving equality

To govern ourselves or not to? This is the existential question of politics. With the rise of distrust, alienation, and extremism, it is all the more difficult to secure democratic self-rule when neither those in power nor the general public seem dependable when it comes to making decisions that can transform our lives, for better or worse. In the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, Henry Tam explores what should be done to revive democracy. Presenting in a clear and accessible manner, he goes beyond the familiar 'get the vote out' ideas, to set out 9 key areas where reforms are necessary to ensure we can govern ourselves more effectively. Against the suggestion that democracy has run its course, this book unpacks why democratic governance is indispensable and puts forward forty recommendations to help us avoid the twin threats of oppressive rule and debilitating chaos.

Introduction: Democracy in distress Part 1: Has democracy a future? Why we need democracy Rethinking how we govern Part 2: How to sustain democratic togetherness Shared mission Mutual respect Coherent membership Part 3: How to underpin democratic objectivity Collaborative learning Critical re-examination Responsible communication Part 4: How to achieve democratic power balance Participatory decision-making Civic parity Public accountability Conclusion: Learning to govern ourselves To govern ourselves or not to? This is the existential question of politics. In the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, Henry Tam explores what should be done to revive democracy, setting out in a clear and accessible manner 9 key areas where reforms are necessary to ensure we can govern ourselves more effectively. In the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, Henry Tam explores what should be done to revive democracy, setting out in a clear and accessible manner nine key areas where reforms are necessary to ensure we can govern ourselves more effectively