Democratic Innovations (DI) designs too often decouple citizen participation from the socio-economic context in which it happens, overlooking barriers to participation from certain groups in society and limiting impact on social justice. INSPIRE takes an intersectional view on inequality, identifying a plurality of inequalities structurally rooted in neoliberal societies. Through this analysis we try to identify spaces, possibilities and strategies for emancipatory change. We place emphasis on the political economy of participation, by which we mean the interaction between social structure, participatory processes and governance systems.

The predominant approach to designing democratic innovations is top-down, with a tendency to universalise modes of participation that respond to the expectations and resources of a narrow demographic (e.g., white, educated, middle-class, older). INSPIRE will test co-design of participatory spaces in seven pilots involving different groups historically marginalised in policymaking and public life. To strengthen inclusiveness, we will use a range of creative methods, such as legislative theatre, photovoice, performance lectures, Citizen Review Panel (CRP) method, living labs and game-like frameworks for interaction.

Assemblage theory is a conceptual framework that emphasises the interconnectedness and the dynamic nature of reality. It acknowledges the agency of various components, both human and non-human (including technology, physical spaces, discourses and affects). It helps examine how these different elements interact and coalesce to form temporary and ever-changing configurations known as "assemblages." This framework can contribute to overcome the linearity and oversimplification that sometimes characterise methodological approaches in the field, which tend to overlook the dynamism, complexity, and messiness of participatory practices. It can help us to rethink democratic innovations beyond just institutional characteristics and arrangements and highlight interactions between different democratic practices, contexts and actors. Learn in more detail about our seven research work packages.