By Hollie Russon Gilman
Ash Center at Harvard Kennedy School
Working toward inclusive governance takes a multi-stakeholder model. Government cannot – and should not – do it alone. It is not as simple as providing the opportunities for citizens[1] to engage in collaborative decision-making. Rather, citizens have become accustomed to a weak model of engagement – democratic elections every four years that hardly express the accurate will of the people. And these are the democracies.
Digital tools offer the promise of a re-engaged civic sphere. However, they have failed to live up to their potential. The reality, shaped by people, power, and institutions, is much more nuanced. However, there are opportunities for using digital tools to create more inclusive and collaborative structures for governance.
In order to understand the current experiments that work, it is critical to have a more expansive understanding of 21st-century governance. This paper outlines a multi-sector approach to governance, includes promising examples, and offers recommendations for practitioners and researchers alike. Critically, I offer examples that couple civil society with government institutions. This helps ensure citizen engagement is translated directly into improved policy outcomes.
Read the full report here.