Power to the People - but do they really want it?

The world of participation and engagement is awash with industry terminology and catchy phrases but experienced practitioners will know that realising progress in empowerment and in devolving any kind of real power to the people is still an uphill struggle regardless of the language you use.

American colleagues wax lyrical about their state proposition system where the man and woman in the street get the final say, through referenda, on policy issues of the day. Don’t misunderstand me I’m not an advocate for referenda. I am however an advocate for people who are affected by policy decisions being given an opportunity to have a greater say in their design and delivery. I’m not suggesting revolution just evolution.

I detect a willingness in Whitehall to embrace the devolutionary and empowerment agendas – pilots in participatory budgeting; the new duty to involve in the local government and health sectors in England and Wales - but would ask whether a majority of the great Britsih public are actually willing to take the opportunities and responsibilities that these agendas offer the man and woman in the street.

The British psyche is a paradox between the desire for strong leadership and the longing to be listened to. We are never more vocal than when telling decision-makers what they’ve done wrong but rarely want to be those decision-makers who are so often the target of mistrust, abuse and, on occasion, outright loathing. It’s a vicious cycle and one that is a challenge to break as the very people who shout loud when things go wrong are the same people who need to be encouraged to be, in their own eyes, at the other end of the abuse that people like themselves dole out.

There are encouraging signs on the horizon - the levels of participation by young people as candidates and as electors in the Young Mayor elections in the London boroughs of Newham and Lewisham and the numbers of signed up members of Foundation Trusts in the Health Sector - but more innovative thought and approaches are required by public sector organisations on how they can encourage the man and woman in the street to be party to the decisions rather than just party to the criticism of them.

Comments

[Tucker]

I agree that people aren't sure whether they want the responsibility or not but the more we give people the opportunites to have control over the decisions that affect their lives, the more they will see the benefits of taking that responsibility, and the more of it they will want.

What is crucial is that empowerment must be on the terms that the people themselves want, not in ways that local and central government would like people to be empowered.