Advocates: Interest groups, civil society organisations and democratic innovation

Abstract

Advocates are important partners in democratic reform. They can provide civil skills, mobilise citizens, agitate decision-makers, and promote social change. Greater consideration needs to be given to how they can be more productively engaged in the design, practice and thinking about democratic innovations. This chapter argued, requires conceptualising democratic innovation beyond discrete participatory forums. There is great capacity to innovate in the activities of advocacy; in how advocates mobilise citizens, and engage in public debate more broadly.