Fifteen Democratic innovations and policy analysis: climate policy and Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly (2016–18)
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Clodagh Harris
Abstract
In the past decade, Ireland has emerged as a world leader in deliberative democracy as evidenced by its Constitutional Convention (CC) (2012–14) and Citizens’ Assembly (CA) (2016–18).
Complementing existing representative institutions and processes, these deliberative democratic innovations have placed citizens at the heart of constitutional change and political reform. Providing opportunities for wider and deeper citizen engagement in the democratic process, they offer citizens the chance to have a role in policy making and policy analysis beyond the ‘ballot box’. Arguably, this is all the more important at a time of rising democratic malaise, in Ireland and elsewhere, characterised by declining levels of trust in politicians and in traditional forms of political engagement (Elstub and Escobar, 2019; Farrell and Suiter, 2019). The emergence of these initiatives in the 2010s was part of a wider governmental response to the profound crises both in global capitalism and in Ireland’s national economic and social situation that strained the relationship between government and the people. These crises acted as a catalyst for Ireland’s new approach to constitutional and political reform, and latterly policy reform (Harris et al, 2013; Farrell and Suiter, 2019). More recently, these government-led initiatives have also started to address policy areas, for example how to respond to climate change and to the challenges and opportunities of an ageing population.
This chapter critically evaluates the potential of these deliberative forums (also known as mini-publics) as an innovative method of policy analysis. It focuses on a particular case – the contribution Ireland’s first CA has made to climate policy.
Abstract
In the past decade, Ireland has emerged as a world leader in deliberative democracy as evidenced by its Constitutional Convention (CC) (2012–14) and Citizens’ Assembly (CA) (2016–18).
Complementing existing representative institutions and processes, these deliberative democratic innovations have placed citizens at the heart of constitutional change and political reform. Providing opportunities for wider and deeper citizen engagement in the democratic process, they offer citizens the chance to have a role in policy making and policy analysis beyond the ‘ballot box’. Arguably, this is all the more important at a time of rising democratic malaise, in Ireland and elsewhere, characterised by declining levels of trust in politicians and in traditional forms of political engagement (Elstub and Escobar, 2019; Farrell and Suiter, 2019). The emergence of these initiatives in the 2010s was part of a wider governmental response to the profound crises both in global capitalism and in Ireland’s national economic and social situation that strained the relationship between government and the people. These crises acted as a catalyst for Ireland’s new approach to constitutional and political reform, and latterly policy reform (Harris et al, 2013; Farrell and Suiter, 2019). More recently, these government-led initiatives have also started to address policy areas, for example how to respond to climate change and to the challenges and opportunities of an ageing population.
This chapter critically evaluates the potential of these deliberative forums (also known as mini-publics) as an innovative method of policy analysis. It focuses on a particular case – the contribution Ireland’s first CA has made to climate policy.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures, tables and boxes vii
- List of abbreviations viii
- Notes on contributors xi
- Editors’ introduction to the seriesr xv
- Acknowledgements xvii
- Foreword xix
- Preface xxiii
- Contextualising policy analysis in Ireland 1
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History, styles and methods of policy analysis in Ireland
- The evolution of economic policy analysis in Ireland 19
- The evolution of social policy analysis in Ireland: from a theocentric to an econocentric paradigm? 33
- The changing policy analysis capacity of the Irish state 47
- Introducing evidence into policy making in Ireland 63
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Policy analysis at various levels of government: from local to the EU
- Ireland’s ‘unique blend’: local government and policy analysis 79
- Committees and the legislature 93
- Policy analysis in the civil service 107
- Europeanised policy making in Ireland 123
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Think tanks, interest groups, political parties and gender-based policy analysis
- The social partners and the NESC: from tripartite dialogue via common knowledge events to network knowledge 141
- Thinks tanks and their role in policy making in Ireland 157
- Civil society organizations and policy analysis 171
- Political parties and the policy process 187
- Gender expertise and policy analysis 203
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The public, science and the media: the wider policy analysis environment in Ireland
- Democratic innovations and policy analysis: climate policy and Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly (2016–18) 219
- Irish science policy: a case study in evidence-based policy design for small open economies 235
- Media discourses on the economy in Ireland: framing the policy possibilities 249
- Index 263
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures, tables and boxes vii
- List of abbreviations viii
- Notes on contributors xi
- Editors’ introduction to the seriesr xv
- Acknowledgements xvii
- Foreword xix
- Preface xxiii
- Contextualising policy analysis in Ireland 1
-
History, styles and methods of policy analysis in Ireland
- The evolution of economic policy analysis in Ireland 19
- The evolution of social policy analysis in Ireland: from a theocentric to an econocentric paradigm? 33
- The changing policy analysis capacity of the Irish state 47
- Introducing evidence into policy making in Ireland 63
-
Policy analysis at various levels of government: from local to the EU
- Ireland’s ‘unique blend’: local government and policy analysis 79
- Committees and the legislature 93
- Policy analysis in the civil service 107
- Europeanised policy making in Ireland 123
-
Think tanks, interest groups, political parties and gender-based policy analysis
- The social partners and the NESC: from tripartite dialogue via common knowledge events to network knowledge 141
- Thinks tanks and their role in policy making in Ireland 157
- Civil society organizations and policy analysis 171
- Political parties and the policy process 187
- Gender expertise and policy analysis 203
-
The public, science and the media: the wider policy analysis environment in Ireland
- Democratic innovations and policy analysis: climate policy and Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly (2016–18) 219
- Irish science policy: a case study in evidence-based policy design for small open economies 235
- Media discourses on the economy in Ireland: framing the policy possibilities 249
- Index 263
