ABSTRACT
A profound affirmation of equality as the natural human condition - that every individual has as much a right to life, liberty, and happiness as any other - lies at the root of this democratic promise. The importance of a public sphere independent of the formal political realm, a point stressed by Emmanuelle Avril and Johann Neem in this book introduction, reflects the influence of Jurgen Habermas on democratic theory these last thirty years. The public sphere, as Habermas defined it, refers to spaces where citizens assemble of their own volition to discuss and debate political issues that matter to them, and to formulate positions and to amplify their voices in the polity. The European citizens' initiative (ECI) is disconcertingly resonant with the policies of enlightened monarchs during Europe's early modern era. People need to recognize that the current enthusiasm for polling, partnership, and governance, like the new interest in petitioning, similarly risks resurrecting pre-democratic forms of rule.
