Besides brainstorming particular ideas for advancing democracy, it's also important to develop some overarching democratic principles. Such principles can help ensure that the totality of new ideas advance basic democratic norms and ideals.
Here are examples of five such democratic principles:
(1) The Participatory Ideal
In a healthy democracy, all people should:
“govern themselves in at least some public matters at least some of the time . . . . Active citizens govern themselves directly . . . , not necessarily . . . in every instance, but frequently enough and in particular when basic policies are being decided and when significant power is being deployed.” (Benjamin Barber, "Strong Democracy," pp. xiv, 151)
(2) Minority Representation
On issues in which individuals choose not to participate, they should know that others with a similar point of view are participating competently, in effect on their behalf. This entails, among other things, mechanisms to ensure that the views of socially disadvantaged groups are fully represented and that their needs and rights are respected.
(3) Level Playing Field
Broadened and equalized opportunities for participation must be supported by relatively equal access to resources required for efficacy, including time and money. Today, for example, politicians, government functionaries, soldiers, and jurors are paid to perform their civic duties. Why not, when necessary, pay citizens to perform theirs? Fairness and equality may also be served by increasing the ratio of representatives chosen by lot to those chosen by vote.
(4) Deliberative Democracy
20th Century American democracy emphasized: (a) periodic voting for leaders; and (b) representation of self-organized stakeholder groups (i.e., interest-group pluralism). 21st Century democracy needs to complement those 20th Century processes with deliberative processes that represent the vast majority of people whose views, concerns and life-experiences who are not well-represented by the collectivity of organized stakeholder groups that are active on any given issue.
(5) Democratic Research and Finance
The government and or private philanthropy need to ensure that adequate resources are available to support research, development, demonstration, evaluation, and deployment of promising and effective democratic practices . . . locally, nationally and transnationally.
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