IGP-New America Roundtable Examines Participatory Democracy, Boosting Public Engagement in Government

Earlier this month, over 40 civil society leaders and past and current Biden-Harris administration officials gathered in Washington to discuss a range of policy issues around equity, democracy, and racial justice. The closed-door roundtable, “New Opportunities for Co-Governance in the Biden Administration: Lessons for Movement and Powerbuilding in the Regulatory Process and the Federal Government,” was organized by New America, the Washington-based think tank that hosted the event, and Columbia SIPA’s Institute of Global Politics.

The purpose of the roundtable was to develop new points of leverage and participation for civil society and social movements to be more actively involved in shaping regulatory policy, to discover ways to empower marginalized or vulnerable groups in in regulatory policy, and to learn how to build and deepen relationships across actors in government, civil society, and grassroots organizations.

Stacey Abrams, one of IGP’s Inaugural Carnegie Distinguished Fellows, reflected on these challenges in her opening remarks. Abrams shared from her firsthand experience the value of constructing two-way relationships of accountabilty between civil society organizations, especially representing underserved commuities, and government officials and staff. She discussed how such partnerships were invaluable during implementation of the 2020 Census in Georgia, as well as the promise of such partnerships in delivering economic, social, and civic benefits to underserved communities from the ongoing historic federal infrastructure investments. 

When we think about bolstering US democracy, we need to focus not just on elections, but also how our policies and programs are implemented in between elections — what we might call administrative democracy.

— Alexander Hertel-Fernandez

Participants discussed a variety of ways to boost public participation and community engagement in the design, analysis, and implementation of regulations that achieve greater equity, including how to get civil society more involved in the policymaking process. The conversation also touched upon tools, programming, training, or resources that could enhance organizations' ability to participate and voice their concerns in government.

“When we think about bolstering US democracy, we need to focus not just on elections, but also how our policies and programs are implemented in between elections — what we might call administrative democracy,” said Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, an associate professor at Columbia SIPA who co-organized the workshop. “This conversation represented a step forward towards building capacity in and out of government to deepen administrative democracy, a key priority for Columbia IGP's focus area on democratic resilience.”

A number of other key insights emerged from the roundtable, including the need for greater collaboration among intermediary organizations and for these groups to translate the experiences of their members to make their needs more legible for government staff. Also discussed was the need for culture change within government agencies to ensure that their staffs are accustomed to regular, two-way communication with outside civil society groups and are flexible to adapt as necessary to changing circumstances and input.

The implementation of DACA in 2012 was cited as a prime example of co-governance, illustrating the importance of building trust within vulnerable communities and need for flexibility for implementing policy with direct input from those most affected. The Census Bureau's mishandling of disability data was mentioned as an example of the need for proper consultation with relevant communities.

Finally, attendees also discussed the importance of digital technologies to drive greater participation. While design methods and digital technologies can reduce the costs of engagement both for the public and the government, they need to be thoughtfully designed. There is a need for effective feedback loops, given the potential of AI to transform public comment processes, highlighting the importance of context and deeper analysis in policymaking.