Beyond Innovations: The Relationship Between Democratic Innovations and the Context of Their Operation

Much of the literature, both theoretical and empirical, on democratic innovation focuses on the nature of innovations themselves. An appeal to work within the agonistic tradition alerts us to the relationship between innovations and the ideological and discursive environment of their operation. This paper explores the nature and significance of this relationship. Drawing on insights afforded by the work of Mouffe, particularly her scrutiny of hegemonic processes, this paper contends that, in addition to the nature of innovations, the environment in which they operate is crucial to the ways in which innovations and their potential is or is not realised. The practical import of this discussion is revealed by contrasting Participatory Budgeting in its nascent form in 1980s Brazil with later manifestations in the UK.