Authors: Tommaso Rondinella Elisabetta Segre Duccio Zola
Publish Date: 2015/12/22
Volume: 130, Issue: 3, Pages: 959-982
Abstract
A set of statistical indicators able to grasp the progress of a country should first of all embody and outline a nationallyshared vision of progress This may be reached through democratic processes for the definition of the values and priorities which our societies wish to pursue Today in front of a longstanding crisis of legitimacy which affects our democracies the implementation of participative procedures is more than ever needed and public deliberation is the process through which legitimate choices and decisions should be shaped and made In this context civil society may provide fundamental contributions in terms of stimulating social participation activation of resources sharing of information and knowledge so to engender a shared idea of progress and wellbeing and to help selecting suitable indicators to measure it This article—which tries to integrate insights coming from theory of democracy and progress indicators’ studies—presents the theoretical issues behind the need for involvement of citizens and organized civil society within participative processes distinguishing between consultation and deliberation Moreover the article analyses through the lens of Archon Fung’s analytical framework on the varieties of participation processes some of the most influential experiences of participative definition of national progress indicators in order to assess how the conditions for granting legitimacy have been actually addressedWe thank for their support and useful conversations Chiara Assunta Ricci and Sergio Andreis at Lunaria Asaf Raz at Shatil and Anat Itay at Tel Aviv University We also wish to thank for their availability in sharing useful information John Hall Mike Salvaris Imogen Wall Sue Taylor Tracy Chester Linda Rattie Linda McKessock Daniel Byk and Enrico Giovannini
Keywords: