Toward a Sociology of Strategies for Deepening Institutional Democracy

This article contributes to the sociology of strategies for deepening institutional democracy. It focuses on the case of Barcelona en Comú and its attempt to democratize municipal governance through the participatory platform Decidim. Drawing on an ethnographic investigation that traces the design, implementation, and outcomes of this reformist initiative, the article makes a twofold contribution. Empirically, it documents a singular attempt to advance what is referred to as “associative” democracy through a digital platform that is implemented by a local government but self-governed by a civic association. Analytically, it advances an original framework that brings together the sociology of social movements, the social history of political ideas, and the sociology of administrative reform, with the aim of systematizing the study of strategies for deepening institutional democracy.