Democratization through social innovation - pirate party Germany and new methods of civic participation

The purpose of this paper is to show by applying the concept of social innovation how a political party can contribute to an increasing democratization of a society and its political system. This will be illustrated by the example of the Pirate Party Germany, which has gained importance within the party system due to new methods of civic participation.

Social innovation is understood as a new combination of social practices in certain areas of action or social contexts prompted by certain actors or constellations of actors in an intentional targeted manner in order to better satisfy needs than is possible on the basis of established practices. The growing significance of this concept can be comprehended in light of the paradigm shift of the innovation system, characterized i.a. by co-ordination between different groups of stakeholders involved in innovation activities and increased involvement of users/citizens in processes of co-development.

In Germany, as in many other countries, civil society beyond the party system has been very active in developing new ways of democratization. However, the Pirate Party (founded in 2006) demonstrates that a political party can also successfully contribute to creating a new model of democracy. This model’s main features are a significantly increased civic participation and transparency of political decision-making, which are achieved through internet and the method of LiquidFeedback, allowing every citizen to participate in formation of the party platform.

In this context, internet and the LiquidFeedback software as technical innovations enable a social innovation: new way of political work characterized by participative, gradual, decentralized and transparent opinion-shaping and decision-making, which can be permanently revised and updated by everyone. As innovations are measured by impact, 8.9% of votes in the Federal State of Berlin parliamentary elections prove that this new model is an innovation and not a mere invention.