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Democracy tech has a deceptively simple promise: give more people a voice, more often. But if the tools are hard to use, require the latest devices, assume high literacy, ignore disability needs, or o

Blockchain voting sits at the intersection of two powerful ideas: the promise of tamperresistant records and the demand for legitimacy in democracy. It is easy to see why movements, municipalities, an

Identity verification is the unglamorous part of digital democracy, and it is also the part that can quietly decide whether people trust the outcome. If you want continuous direct democracy the core p

Online democracy promises something representative systems struggle to deliver: meaningful participation between elections. But the moment civic decisionmaking moves online, it inherits the internet’s

Astroturfing is the quiet killer of digital participation. It looks like civic momentum, but it is manufactured, amplified, or coordinated in ways that mislead decisionmakers and drown out real commun

Local democracy is built or broken in everyday places: city council meetings, school boards, neighborhood associations, mutual aid groups, parent groups, tenant unions, and local issue coalitions. Whe

Buying or building civic participation software is not like procuring a normal “engagement tool.” In a B2G setting, the platform becomes part of the democratic process itself. That means the contract

Public trust is fragile, participation is uneven, and many “engagement platforms” still operate like suggestion boxes. In 2026, governments buying civic tech are not just procuring software, they are

Most public consultations fail for the same reason: the “input” is real, but the route from input to a decision, then to implementation, then back to evaluation is missing. Citizens leave comments, vo

Open government data is one of the fastest ways to increase trust without waiting for a constitutional rewrite or a new election cycle. But many public institutions get stuck on the first step: they e

Citizens’ assemblies are having a moment, and for good reason. When a representative microcosm of the public gets time, balanced evidence, and skilled facilitation, the result can be more thoughtful t

Participatory budgeting PB is one of the simplest ways to make democracy feel real: residents propose ideas, debate tradeoffs, and decide how a defined slice of public money is spent. Moving PB online

Liquid democracy is one of those ideas that sounds like a niche political theory until you try to solve a very practical problem: how do you let people participate in decisions continuously without fo

Learn how to run a transparent online referendum by publishing a clear “Referendum Pack,” building independent oversight, and designing verifiable audits that protect voter privacy. This guide shows how to publish evidence citizens can check—before, during, and after the vote.

Choosing a citizen participation platform is choosing democratic infrastructure. Learn the non-negotiable features—identity, deliberation, decision tools, transparency, security, and “close the loop” accountability—that make participation legitimate and consequential.

Online voting succeeds or fails on legitimacy. Use this practical security, privacy, and trust checklist to evaluate platforms—covering identity, ballot integrity, secrecy, verifiability, audits, transparency, and operational readiness.

Forget blockchain hype—this guide breaks down the practical digital democracy tools cities actually deploy, from participation portals and participatory budgeting to deliberation, open data, and 311 systems. Learn what works in real municipal constraints and how to build “continuous democracy” with transparency and follow-through.

Explore the key differences between continuous direct democracy vs elections—from time-boxed mandates to ongoing feedback loops—and what each model is designed to solve. Learn how “daily democracy” could improve transparency, accountability, and citizen participation between election cycles.

Most democracies only listen on election day. This article outlines how continuous direct democracy can work in practice—through agenda-setting, deliberation, decision-making, and oversight—backed by real safeguards and a staged rollout plan.

Stop treating political support like an election-season sprint. Learn how to mobilize volunteers and donors with fast activation, clear roles, transparent trust-building, and participation loops built for continuous democracy.