Innovations in Participatory Governance and the (De)commodification of Social Wellbeing

The structural conditions that produce inequality are a prime area for participatory and deliberative democrats to focus their energy. If democracy is to serve potentially emancipatory ideals, an important question needs to be addressed: how can innovations in participatory governance lead to the decommodification of social wellbeing? The chapter extends as well as problematizes the characteristics and core objectives of governance-driven democracy and democracy-driven governance, outlining how democratic innovations are involved in governing social wellbeing in Toronto.