New Scholarly Work Looks at Participatory Institutions, Digital Technologies and Democratic Crises

A new book featuring research by Professor Benjamin Goldfrank, Ph.D. has been published. The chapter, titled, "Participatory Institutions, Digital Technologies and Democratic Crises," was written by Goldfrank and Yanina Welp, a research fellow at the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy. The chapter is featured in Popular Sovereignty in a Digital Age, Lessons for the Global South and Working Classes, edited by Aaron Schneider. The book was published last August by SUNY Press.  
 
Recently, the School of Diplomacy and International Relation's social media team interviewed Professor Goldfrank to better understand his research and insights about global affairs. Goldfrank and Welp dive into how these new institutions and digitalization are affecting democracy, particularly in Latin America. Their chapter defines the main features of key participatory institutions and rising digitalization. Goldfrank and Welp examine selected cases from Latin America, offering a wide comparison between examples from Cuba, Brazil, Venezuela and Uruguay, among others. Goldfrank has been collaborating with Welp for 16 years, as the two share the same research interest in participatory institutions in Latin America. Goldfrank became part of this joint effort at the invitation of the book’s editor, Aaron Schneider. Schneider is the inaugural President Lula Chair of the Instituto Lula in Brazil, which co-published the book in Portuguese. In their chapter, Goldfrank and Welp begin with a review of literature on the emergence and main characteristics of the key participatory institutions and the rise of digital initiatives. They go on to analyze a selection of the most widely used forms and concepts of participatory institutions, and how they are affected by digital engagement, such as social media and online platforms.  
 
According to Goldfrank, the basic argument is that the use of participatory institutions and their connection to digital technology has not had a major impact on regional democracies. He noted that, "The general argument is that regardless of how much digitalization there was, the effects on democracy have been pretty limited. However, in a few key well-designed participatory institutions, particularly the municipal policy councils in Brazil, there have been very positive outcomes for democracy and people's well-being." When asked about the potential for corrupted communal councils in Venezuela to be reformed and enhance democratic participation, he emphasized the importance of transparency and following democratic rules, saying, "When you have these participatory institutions inside non-democratic contexts, they do not serve to democratize, they serve to maintain authoritarian control. Elected officials don't have enough incentives to share power; they want to maintain control over policy decisions."

"Participatory Institutions, Digital Technologies and Democratic Crises" provides an empirical perspective on democracy by providing several case examples from Latin America democracies. Goldfrank hopes that readers take away two main messages from this chapter. One is to dispel some myths and to recommend a more sober analysis of digitalization and participatory institutions since they have often been overhyped. The second message is that new institutions, digital or not, should emphasize transparent rules and give some degree of decision-making power to participants rather than the incumbents manipulating the rules in their favor and undermining participant autonomy. 
 
Goldfrank began teaching at the School of Diplomacy and International Relations in 2007. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University. At Seton Hall, he teaches classes on Latin American politics, society and economic development and United States foreign policy toward the region. His most recent book, The Rise, Spread, and Decline of Brazil’s Participatory Budgeting: The Arc of Democratic Innovation, was written with Brian Wampler and published in 2022.  

Categories: Science and Technology