Institutions
Who Does What? The Different Roles of Public Institutions
Understand who does what in public institutions by tracing a proposed bus-lane change from complaint to decision, and…
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All articles
Browse explanations of institutions, representation, participation, public language and civic ideas. Each piece begins with a question worth asking and unpacks the terms and choices around it.
Participation
Consultation or Deliberation: Two Ways to Hear Public Views
Consultation or deliberation? Learn how to tell them apart, choose the right format and judge whether a public process…
Representation
The Secret Ballot: Why Privacy Became Part of Voting
The secret ballot protects a voter’s individual choice while leaving election procedures open to scrutiny. See how…
Civic Ideas
A Public Debate Is Not a Poll of Everyone
A public debate is not a poll of everyone: learn how to read visible arguments without mistaking them for the views of…
Public Language
Reading a Public Statement: Separate the Aim from the Method
Reading a public statement closely helps you separate its stated aim from its proposed method, identify missing…