Why do we need citizen-led governance?

May 2023

This brief post is designed to help you make the case for citizen-led governance.

1. Effectiveness

Many of the decisions that affect us every day are made by leaders, like elected politicians or those who sit on the boards of organisations. The problem with this approach is that these models tend to produce leaders who often come from a limited range of backgrounds. And decision-making is more effective when different kinds of people with varied life experiences are involved. This is because we all consider information and facts more carefully when we are with people who are not like us. And the intellectual potential of a decision-making group increases when we include diverse viewpoints, encouraging new and more innovative ways to look at things. 

2. Inclusivity

Citizen-led governance provides an opportunity for diverse groups of citizens to work together, share their experiences and perspectives and build a consensus on important issues. The process ensures that decision-making is more inclusive and representative of the population as a whole.

3. Deliberation

An absolutely crucial aspect of citizen-led governance is that it adopts a deliberative approach. So instead of simply debating ideas, with winners and losers, using people’s ‘off-the-top-of-the-head’ knowledge, a deliberative process is more thoughtful. This is because it enables citizens to have the opportunity to learn, discuss and consider various perspectives before working together, supported by independent facilitators, to come to a consensus recommendation or decision.

4. Legitimacy

There is evidence which shows that decisions made by citizens, in things like Citizens' Assemblies, provide a higher degree of legitimacy to the decision-making process, as they are seen as being more representative of the views and interests of the wider community. This means that a citizen-led process can help to increase public trust in the decisions that are then made.

5. New ways of thinking

Citizen-led governance brings together people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. This can generate new solutions that might not have been considered through more traditional decision-making processes (see effectiveness) which can be especially useful when dealing with complex social issues.

6. Capacity building

And looking at the big picture, if citizen-led governance was more widespread we would build the capacity of citizens to participate in decision-making processes, increasing the knowledge and skills in our communities. There is evidence to show that citizens who take part in processes such as Citizens’ Assemblies can go on to play a more active role in their communities beyond the scope of the assembly. 

So instead of politicians shaping public policy, or boards defining the future for organisations, what about using citizen-led governance as a better way of shaping everyone’s future? Most nations use citizens in their justice system through jury service; with juries making key decisions in public trials. Why not kick-start governance duty, enabling diverse groups of citizens to start leading on other big decisions on behalf of their fellow citizens?