Direct Democracy in Practice: the case of ‘Community Ownership’ housing associations

Abstract

This paper evaluates the achievement of ‘direct democracy’ in Community Ownership schemes. Community Ownership is a programme in Scotland to create small, community-based housing associations and cooperatives in areas of former council housing. The paper reviews four different views of direct democracy: as a form of radical politics; as a means of encouraging better or more rational decision making; as a method of rolling back the state, improving competition and consumer choice; and as a way of improving liberal democracy. It concludes that Community Ownership is neither radical politics nor privatisation, but that it has resulted in better service provision and has provided some limited democratic benefits.

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