ABSTRACT
This chapter describes and discusses experimental participatory procedures that were tried out in a variety of countries. The procedures pursued different purposes, e.g., working out a new constitution, new laws or budget plans; and they were set up in different ways. They provide wide-ranging insights into the functioning and impacts of different innovations. Thus, they are inspiring for the development of visionary systems. However, the inspiring effect has its limits. All these participatory procedures took pace under the roof of representative democracy. They are considered—at most—add-ons, which elected representatives can grant, change or take away. They are confined by a conceptual and practical restriction—the predominance of electoral representation. But Thriving Democracies go beyond the precast paradigm of representation as the best way of governing. Communities decide how they want to govern themselves, be it by referendums, mini-publics, elections and representation or by a mixture of all. Accordingly, ideas for visionary systems should offer a broader, unlimited horizon.
