Participatory Democracy

Seeing the different types of democracy spelled out in the web lecture was very useful to me. I have been involved in a democratic organization on campus, and through volunteer projects, have been advocating for different types of democracy. I never had names for these things, which is very important to me. When something is named, it is more easily understood. Under these various volunteer projects, such as voter drives, discussion panels, and conventions, I realize now I have been advocating for participatory democracy. The goal of these volunteer projects was to give people more access to participate in their democracy and government, to register to vote, to talk with panelists about issues and to meet and talk with other democrats and learn from them. I think of the types of democracy discussed, participatory is a good model, however I also an drawn to deliberative democracy. Reasoned discussion, I believe, should be central to all decision making, and especially in government and democracy. Dialogic democracy is an interesting concept as well, emotion and passion should be accepted arguments as long as they are based on fact. It would seem that all forms of democracy, procedural, competitive, deliberative, participatory, and dialogic should have a place in the democracy, advocacy, and government of the U.S. and other democratic governments.