Citizens selected at random draw up their Constitution, parliamentarians work with their electorate on collaborative platforms to create laws; there are more and more community start-ups; “new generation” political parties reignite the desire to become involved; civil servants and elected representatives develop innovative public services with civil society… Throughout the world, these initiatives are heralding the end of a political era and shaping an updated democracy.
Passionate about exploring models of political engagement and the creation of future business models, Elisa Lewis supports the development of social entrepreneurial projects and was a driving force behind the creation of an association to help the development of urban agriculture.
Romain Slitine, an economist and entrepreneur, is a senior lecturer and scientific adviser at Sciences Po (Institute of social and political science) in Paris. He is the co-founder of Odyssem, a collective which supports the development of social economics and defends social innovation.
They are both active members of the Démocratie ouverte (open democracy) association which brings together elected officials, citizens and civic start-ups committed to democratic transition in France and the French-speaking world. The authors are convinced that there is a huge potential for political invention which is waiting to be put to use.