Background

Citizen power is the capacity and capability of people (individually and collectively) to positively shape and influence the direction, content and structure of their lives and communities. Over the past decade, it has become a mainstream practice for public services to involve citizens in their decision-making.

The shift in public policy towards "empowerment" and "personalisation" in the last few years reflects a symbiotic process of change: public services increasingly recognise the value of public participation in policymaking and citizens demand ever-more control over their lives.

But this was at a time of year on year increases in public spending. In 2007-08, total government spending was £620bn, 44 per cent of national income. For public services, the coming years will be marked by significant cuts to public spending. This year, public sector borrowing is set to peak at a level not seen since the Second World War and public sector debt set to climb to levels not seen since the 1960s.

The response from government and local public services to an ‘age of austerity’ should be one of innovation, experimentation with different ways of enhancing the power and capabilities of citizens to influence policymaking and public service delivery not restricting or cutting it back.

The neo-liberal orthodoxy that has presided over social and economic policy for the past thirty years is now bankrupt, and the homo economicus model of human behaviour now defunct. The complex challenges facing us in the twenty first century, from improving public services at a time of public spending cuts to strengthening community cohesion, tackling climate change to reducing levels of obesity, require a new approach to public policy that focuses on long-term strategy and a more sophisticated conception of human action that moves beyond narrow hyper-rationalist conceptions of civic behaviour and ‘person shaping’.

For advocates and supporters of participative democracy, localism and citizen power, the global economic crisis and MPs expenses scandal may represent an opportunity for radical reform: one in which a renewed emphasis on civicness can emerge with citizens co-creators of public institutions and services. Part of the value of the Citizen Power programme is to explore what these emerging possibilities might look like in theory and practice.

The launch of Citizen Power: Peterborough

Citizen Power: Peterborough launch was held on Monday 8 March 2010 at 6pm at the RSA. 

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the RSA introduced keynote speakers:

  • Irene Lucas, Director General - Local government and regeneration, Communities and Local Government
  • David Halpern, former Chief Analyst in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit and author of The Hidden Wealth of Nations
  • Contemporary artist Bob and Roberta Smith. 

Matthew also hosted a panel session in which the three speakers joined with Marco Cereste, Leader of Peterborough City Council, and Andrea Stark, Area Executive Director, Arts Council England.