In its most basic form, a ‘democracy’ is a form of government in which people choose their leaders by voting in fair and free elections. But having a robust democracy encompasses much more than the ballot box. It means a society in which citizens participate on city commissions, volunteer at their local food bank, protest against policies they object to, or assist a neighbor in need. Democracy can also extend into the workplace and into the economy as a whole. Our opening panel will explore these and other topics about what it means to have a true democracy.
This kick-off discussion will be led by Johanna Mair, academic editor of Stanford Social Innovation Review and professor of organization, strategy and leadership at the Hertie School. She will be joined by Xavier de Souza Briggs, senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, and author of Democracy as Problem Solving: Civic Capacity in Communities across the Globe, Liz McKenna, assistant professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School, and Claudia Chwalisz, CEO of DemocracyNext.