South Africans say apps step in where government fails

Paris has implemented the world's largest participatory budgeting program, allowing any resident aged 7 and older to propose and vote on city projects funded by municipal money. Since 2014, the city has allocated 5% of its total budget and has implemented 1,345 citizen-proposed projects over the past 10 years, including rooftop farms, community centers, and infrastructure for homeless residents. In addition, research shows areas with participatory budgeting see greater trust in local leadership and higher rates of civic engagement.

Estonia's e-governance system allows citizens to register for social programs, access health records, and complete most government business digitally. In March 2023, more than half of the country's voters cast their ballots via the internet for the first time.

After decentralized protests in Sudan successfully ousted a 30-year dictatorship, nonviolent civic action in the country continues to grow, with highly localized demonstrations calling for everything from greater security against cattle theft to the resignation of corrupt public officials. The protests have been fueled by better exposure via social media, more collaboration among activist groups, and the proliferation of neighborhood-level "resistance committees" that grew out of the movement to topple the dictatorship in 2018 and 2019.

The Sequim Good Governance League (SGGL) formed in response to right-wing agitators taking over positions of power and spreading misinformation. SGGL recruited progressive and moderately conservative candidates who successfully defeated incumbents with the help of dozens of volunteers they trained. Volunteers worked around the clock, sent out emails, put up signs around the town, and used their most effective tool: having one-on-one conversations with other residents. SGGL-backed candidates now hold the majority of government offices.

Citizen assemblies bring together residents for in-depth discussions about solutions to social issues. This alternative form of democracy led to policy changes in many countries, including legalizing abortion in Ireland. In the UK, an algorithm was applied to form a 110-person “climate assembly.” In a multistage process, the algorithm selected a representative sample of the U.K.’s population, sometimes oversampling harder to reach groups to ensure inclusion. A small stipend was also offered to offset costs for people with lower incomes. The group submitted a final report with climate policy recommendations.

Grassroots movements made up of ordinary citizens can go a long way in creating change. This article details several initiatives across Ohio that were led by citizens using a combination of lobbying, education, persistence, knowledge of government practices, and organization. Some things that were achieved using these methods are wage reimbursements and increased bus access.

GovChat is the world's first platform that connects citizens with politicians via WhatsApp. It allows citizens to rate public services and report issues, submit service requests, and donate to community organizations. Thousands of people registered and began using the platform within the first 72 hours.

Politicians across the country draw voting maps to favor their own political parties. In Michigan, a state with extreme congressional gerrymandering, voters are saying enough is enough. A nonpartisan group called Voters Not Politicians has collected 425,000 signatures in support of a ballot measure to create an independent commission to determine voting districts. The all-volunteer force gathered proposals at town hall meetings and spoke with voters at parades, football games, and even highway rest stops.

In the face of climate change as a result of increased CO2 emissions, millions of concerned citizens have grown frustrated at the lack of change from more traditional forms of civil engagement such as petitions, protests, and campaigns against the behemoths of the oil industry. But some have found hope in a growing movement that pushes governments and large corporations to leverage a more effective tool: divestment - or withdrawing financial support from the fossil fuel industry.

For urban residents, participation in city-planning often means navigating complex administrative bureaucracy and struggling through a lack of transparency, but in New York City, efforts are being made to engage citizens in the renewal (and preservation) of Brownsville, Brooklyn. The city’s Housing Department has worked with the online platform coUrbanize to facilitate community-sourced ideas for the future via text. These residents’ responses are then inputted into a publicly-accessible map, which the city has pledged to incorporate into its planning.