Confidence in politicians is very low

Voters don’t feel represented. And studies like “Affluence and Influence” from the Princeton University prove that they are right.

Confidence in democracy and in its institutions is dwindling. According to video from RepresentUs only 4% of Americans have a “great deal of confidence in congress”.

Bad testimony:

Only 4% of Americans have “a great deal of confidence in congress”

Swearing an oath with fingers crossed behind back

How can politics regain the trust it has lost?

In order to restore the confidence of the population in politics, nationwide referendums and petitions for a referendum must be introduced, and in case of the EU countries also on a supranational level. They have to offer real participation and no cheap talk.

Less is not enough since citizens are very aware that a large part of their lives is decided at federal or supranational level

Call for genuine co-determination

We shouldn’t wait for the established parties to reluctantly surrender part of their power and introduce nationwide referendums and petitions.

We should rather found new political parties with the aim of supplementing parliamentary democracy with direct democratic elements, acting according to the following three principles:

grassroots democratic & efficient & transparent

At the same time, the new party must ensure in the long run that the party leadership does not “take off”.

Two people talking to each other

Grassroots Democratic

means not only to have a say but also to have a say. The party base can bring in topics itself and determine the topics in which it wants to have a say. The votes of the party's basis are taken over 1:1 by the elected delegates.

Two gears nicely working

Efficiency

means the efficient inclusion of new topics, the collection of information on topics, the discussion and creation of a decision basis that is as neutral as possible, the generation of motivation for participation in the vote, and the vote itself as well as the efficient cooperation of party members, leadership and elected representatives

Magnifying glass looking on twi smoothly working gears

Transparency

focuses on safeguarding and making transparent all internal party information processes and democratic processes. The party leadership is under constant control of the grassroots. Transparency also extends to a large extent to the public.

The has to be a new kind of party, a “co-determination party”, which is more democratic and more transparent and thereby also more trustworthy.