1. Quality Students’ Unions: Democracy
What a good democracy looks like

2. What we’re going to cover
What are the principles that underpin “good” democracy?
What does this mean in practice?
What’s good about your democracy?
What have some other students’ unions done?
How does this map onto Quality Students’ Unions?

3. Inclusiveness Popular Control Transparency Considered Judgement
Evaluating democracy
Inclusiveness
Popular Control
Transparency
Considered Judgement
Professor Graeme Smith
Head of the center for the study of democracy

4. Inclusiveness
Equality of Presence - who is in the room when decisions are made?
Equality of Voice - who speaks?
Spectrum line 1. – how inclusive is your system?
For example, if a meeting only involved white people then, in terms of ethnicity, we could not say that there is an equality of Presence as it only involved people from one ethnic group.
For example, a meeting could be attended by people from a range of different ethnic groups, but if only the white people speak then we could not say that there is an equality of Voice

5. Quality Students’ Unions: Inclusiveness
Excellent
“The union has put in place a number of effective initiatives to ensure that members from under represented groups become engaged in union elections and decision making. The candidates and electorate at the most recent election reflect the diversity of the union’s membership as does the makeup of the union’s central decision making body and those who participate in it”

6. Quality Students’ Unions: Inclusiveness
Very Good
“The union is able to show where it has attempted to ensure that members from under represented groups become engaged in union elections and decision making”
Good
“Fair and open cross campus ballots are undertaken for all major office positions, in line with the requirements of the 1994 Education Act”

7. Tools for Equality of Voice/ Presence
Citizen Assembly by sortition e.g. student jury
Fair representation
Voice
Quorum for underrepresented groups
Progressive clock

8. Student Control Demokratia - as demos “people” kratos “power” 4 stages
Problem definition
Option analysis
Option selection
Implementation
Spectrum line 2. – how much control do you students have?

9. Quality Students’ Unions: Student Control
Excellent
“Through the democratic system students are able to set the political, financial and strategic direction of the union. In each of these three areas, members are enabled to participate in identifying problems, analysing options, selecting solutions and implementing their decision. Furthermore, the union can evidence that the decisions made by members are acted on and realised in a timely way”

10. Quality Students’ Unions: Student Control
Very Good
“Through the democratic system students are able to influence the political and strategic direction of their students’ union. In these two areas, members are enabled to participate in identifying problems and selecting solutions as part of the decision making process. Furthermore, the union can demonstrate that decisions made by members are acted on in a timely way”
Good
“Through the democratic system students are able to influence the political direction of their union. As part of this decision making process, members are enabled to participate in identifying problems and selecting solutions.”

11. Tools for Student Control
Petition
Direct initiative
(P)Referendum
Participatory budgeting
House of students

12. Considered Judgement
Technical information – relevant facts e.g. legal or financial information to inform the decision
Enlarged thinking – understanding other people’s subjective views
Spectrum line 3. – how considered are your student’s judgements?

13. Quality Students’ Unions: Considered Judgement
Excellent
“The Information given by the union to its members is a fundamental component of ensuring that the union operates as a democracy. This information is accessible, relevant and timely to ensure that members can contribute to the union’s decision making processes in an informed way. Members are therefore able to make considered judgements when voting in elections and making decisions. The union is able to demonstrate that it enables members to consider the views of other members before making a decision”

14. Quality Students’ Unions: Considered Judgement
Very Good
“The information given by the union to its members is a fundamental component of ensuring that the union operates as a democracy. This information is accessible, relevant and timely to ensure that members can contribute to the decision making processes of the union in an informed way. Members are therefore able to make considered judgements when voting in elections and making decisions”
Good
“The information published by the union about its democratic decision-making processes may be limited to key dates and logistics”

15. Tools for Considered Judgement
Vote match
Legal and financial info from trustees
Trained, recruited facilitators
Submitting online evidence/ testimony
Consultation “pure” representation
Deliberative methods

16. Transparency
Internal transparency – are students aware of the conditions of their participation.
External transparency - the extent to which students understand why decisions were made and how
Spectrum line 4 – how transparent is your decision-making?
Internal transparency includes the long-term and short-term impact of their participation, for example if a student votes in a referendum do they know a) how the issue was selected, b) when the result will be announced c) when the decision will be implemented and d) what its implications are for their students’ union

17. Quality Students’ Unions: Transparency
Excellent
“The union’s members feels that they fully understand how to participate in union democracy, including but not limited to, voting, standing for election and submitting a proposal to be considered by the membership. Those who choose to participate are trained and supported through the process to understand both the terms and consequences of their participation. Members are able to scrutinise the actions of the union and its elected officers through clear communications and a process for members to raise their objections if they don’t feel represented”

18. Quality Students’ Unions: Transparency
Very Good
“Most of the members feel that they fully understand how to participate in union democracy, including but not limited to, voting, standing for election and submitting a proposal to be discussed and decided upon by the membership. Those who choose to participate are trained and supported through the process to understand both the terms and consequences of their participation. Members are able to scrutinise the actions of the union and its elected officers through clear communications.”
Good
“Knowledge of how to participate in union democracy is limited to standing for high profile roles such as sabbatical positions and voting in cross campus ballots. Those who choose to participate are supported through the process by being given key
logistical information”

19. Tools for Transparency
Candidate briefings
Trainings for participants
All student s
Clear accountability methods e.g. petition
Policy traffic lights

20. Questions? Objections/ questions/ comments? Further reading:
Democracy is dead, long live democracy!
This is what democracies look like