Dialling Up Democracy in the 21st Century: Pathways for Renewal

This policy working paper by Mark Swift explores how democratic innovation can help renew trust, participation, and legitimacy in the UK’s democratic system. Building on earlier LPIP Hub work on social value and community-centred innovation, it examines the social, institutional, and structural pressures currently facing democracy, particularly in the context of devolution and regional governance. Drawing on UK and international examples, the paper sets out five practical pathways for ‘dialling up democracy’ - from participatory budgeting and digital democracy to citizens’ assemblies, institutional openness, and new models of representation - arguing that democratic renewal is essential to inclusive growth, social cohesion, and regional innovation.

Local and regional policymakers, LPIPs, civic institutions, and community partners should embed democratic innovation into devolved governance - expanding participatory spaces, strengthening accountability, and co-creating policy with citizens to rebuild trust and legitimacy from the ground up.

This research is for the Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Hub which seeks to address nationwide issues through local partnerships and place.

By working with local LPIPs, the Hub aims to understand and solve local challenges around the UK through an innovative and effective service-driven approach to place-based policy-making and public service delivery. The LPIP Hub is designed to lead to a step-change in the quality and impact of the evidence created by universities and their local place partners.

The Hub has £3.6 million from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), and Innovate UK. It is a national consortium, led by the University of Birmingham, convening stakeholders across the research and policy ecosystem.