How to Empower Citizens

Giving citizens a greater role in government is only the beginning. If people are expected to make decisions, propose initiatives and vote on important issues, they need to understand how the system works and, just as importantly, believe that their participation can make a difference.

For many people, politics has become something distant and complicated. Government processes can be difficult to understand, political language can be inaccessible, and citizens may feel that decisions are made by people they have little influence over. Years of being told, directly or indirectly, that politics is the preserve of politicians can create a powerful sense of disengagement: “There is nothing I can do.”

Direct democracy requires a different mindset. Citizens need to understand that they are not simply choosing who governs them; they are participants in government themselves.

Start with Education

The first requirement is therefore education.

A programme of civic education should explain, in straightforward language, how government works, what powers exist at national, regional and local levels, how citizens can use direct democratic mechanisms, how initiatives and referendums work, and what responsibilities come with having a greater say.

Citizens do not need to become political experts. They need enough knowledge to understand the choices before them and to know where they can intervene.

This education should not be limited to schools. It should be available throughout adult life through community organisations, libraries, workplaces, public information centres and online platforms.

Schools have a particularly important role. Young people should learn not simply about democracy as a political theory but how it actually works. They can practise debating issues, examining competing arguments, taking part in mock votes and understanding how decisions affect their communities.

The objective is to create citizens who are practised in democracy, rather than people who encounter it only when they are asked to cast a vote.

Make Information Easy to Understand

Information is only useful if people can understand it.

Government and civic organisations should therefore communicate in plain language rather than relying on political or legal terminology. Important information should be available in the languages used by the population and in formats accessible to people with disabilities.

Citizens should be able to find, in one place, basic information about forthcoming votes, initiatives and referendums, including what is being proposed, why it is being proposed, what would change, the likely consequences and the principal arguments on both sides.

Printed information remains important. Brochures, leaflets and simple guides can be distributed through libraries, community centres, schools and other public spaces.

The same information should also be available online.

Use the Technology People Already Use

Modern technology provides an opportunity to make civic participation part of everyday life.

Most people already use smartphones, websites and social media. These tools can therefore be used to make democratic information easier to access.

A dedicated civic platform or mobile application could provide information about forthcoming votes, explain initiatives in simple language, provide links to detailed documents, notify citizens of important deadlines and allow people to participate in consultations and public discussions.

Interactive tools could help citizens explore the consequences of different proposals. Short videos, infographics, podcasts and online courses can explain complicated subjects without requiring citizens to read lengthy political documents.

Technology should make participation easier, not replace traditional forms of participation. Citizens who do not have reliable internet access or who are uncomfortable with technology must still be able to obtain information and participate through physical and community-based channels.

Take Democracy into Communities

Education should not depend entirely on citizens seeking information for themselves.

Workshops, seminars and town-hall meetings can bring democracy directly into communities. Local organisations can invite academics, practitioners and other independent experts to explain how the system works and answer questions.

Community meetings should not simply be presentations. They should provide an opportunity for people to ask questions, express concerns and discuss how direct democracy might affect their own lives.

Libraries, schools, community centres and local associations can become places where citizens can learn about forthcoming issues and discuss them with others.

This is particularly important for people who have traditionally felt disconnected from politics.

Change the Mindset

Perhaps the greatest challenge is not a lack of information but a lack of confidence.

When people repeatedly experience politics as something controlled by others, they can develop a belief that their own actions have little effect. Direct democracy challenges that assumption.

Citizens begin to see that they can propose an initiative, support one started by somebody else, challenge a decision, participate in a referendum and ultimately change the law.

That does not mean that an individual can always achieve what they want. Democracy necessarily involves disagreement and compromise. But it creates a mechanism through which people can act.

And acting together matters.

One person may have very little influence. Thousands of people acting together can initiate a national debate. Communities can identify problems that governments have overlooked. Citizens can bring issues onto the political agenda that might otherwise never reach it.

The important psychological shift is from “I can do nothing” to “I can participate.”

Use Public Information Campaigns

The introduction of direct democracy should be accompanied by a sustained public information campaign.

This could include television and radio broadcasts, social media, newspapers, public posters, short explanatory videos and simple printed guides.

The purpose should not be to persuade citizens how to vote. It should be to explain how they can participate.

Public information could answer basic questions such as:

• What is direct democracy?

• What can citizens decide?

• How does an initiative work?

• How does a referendum work?

• How do I sign or propose one?

• Where can I find reliable information?

• When and how do I vote?

• What happens after the vote?

These are simple questions, but answering them clearly is essential if people are to feel confident using the system.

Bring Young People Into the Process

Young people should be treated not simply as future voters but as citizens who can contribute now.

Schools and universities can establish civic programmes, student debates, mock referendums and community projects. Young people could also become civic ambassadors, helping to explain the democratic process to their peers and communities.

This has an additional benefit. Young people are often comfortable with digital communication and can help make civic participation more accessible to others.

Someone recently wrote to me and I think that it is sound advice. She said: "Yes. Educate the children to take responsibility, though, so that they do not vote for themselves, but for the good of the whole culture and country."

Build Networks, Not Silos

Organisations working to strengthen democracy do not need to work independently.

Different groups may focus on different problems—political participation, transparency, civic education, local government, constitutional reform or democratic accountability—but they can collaborate around the common objective of giving citizens greater knowledge and influence.

They can share educational resources, organise joint events, reach different communities and promote a common understanding of democratic participation while continuing to pursue their individual objectives.

The aim should be to build a network of civic participation, rather than another centralised political organisation.

Make Education Continuous

Civic education should not be a one-off campaign carried out when a new system is introduced.

Direct democracy becomes effective when participation becomes familiar. Citizens should encounter it at school, in their communities, through the media and online, and through regular opportunities to discuss public issues.

Every referendum becomes an opportunity to learn. Every initiative demonstrates how citizens can use the system. Every public debate helps develop the skills required for the next one.

Over time, citizens become more confident because participation becomes normal.

The Practical Objective

There are many ways to educate and engage citizens, but they all begin with the same principle:

Before giving people more power, give them the knowledge and confidence to use it.

The purpose of civic education is therefore not to tell citizens what to think. It is to give them the tools to think, question, debate and decide for themselves.

A successful system of direct democracy should ultimately create a population that does not simply wait for politicians to tell them what is happening. Citizens should know where to find information, understand how decisions are made, know how they can intervene and have the confidence to do so.

The real measure of success is when participation stops feeling like an occasional political event and becomes part of everyday citizenship.

Direct democracy works when citizens no longer see government as something done to them, but as something in which they have the ability—and the responsibility—to participate.