Ebook: Democracy and the Future: Future-Regarding Governance in Democratic Systems

This book brings together political philosophers, democratic theorists, empirical political scientists, and policy experts to examine why representative democracies have so often failed to anticipate future problems and consider the long-term consequences of policy decisions. It examines these topics from many different perspectives — it is interdisciplinary and globally-oriented — but it also explores Finland as an example of how long-term governance might be done. Finland has one of the most advanced governmental foresight systems in the world, including a unique parliamentary institution called the ‘Committee for the Future’ and it has enjoyed a stable, multiparty government for decades. The book concludes that such elite-driven institutions should be complemented by robust institutions for public participation and deliberation in order to retain responsiveness while at the same time forging public commitments for future-regarding action.