Policies to reduce inequality in the capability to participate in decision-making, have a voice and influence

Policies in Domain 6 address imbalances in power between individuals or misuse of power by organisations or the state, including factors associated with the structures and operation of institutions as well as corruption. Governments have a duty to protect individuals’ civil and political rights, and support democratic participation. Candidate policies cover open and fair appointments to institutions, organisations and groups tasked with ensuring the accountability of government and non-governmental organisations. These include addressing any harmful social and cultural norms that block or deter some groups from participating, having a voice in these matters and having influence. Policies also include ensuring the freedom to join civil organisations and social movement, and enjoying freedom of assembly and association.

Explore the candidate policies by main driver categories in Domain 6.

Policies by main driver categories

To find a selection of candidate policies, click on the main driver categories below.

6.1 Lack of support for all forms of democratic participation and protection of the civil and political rights

• Policies that guarantee free and fair elections including: representative and competitive multi-party systems; credible electoral administration; effective oversight of electoral processes; and provisions which guarantee citizens’ right to free, fair and accessible voting (e.g. making voter registration both geographically accessible and free/affordable).
• Policies to ensure freedom of speech, assembly and protest.
• Policies which establish quota systems or other special measures to ensure the representation of women, minorities and politically marginalised groups within the police, army, judiciary, parliament and civil service.
• Policies to prohibit and restrict gerrymandering including adequate resources for a politically neutral body mandated to examine and change district boundaries.

6.2 Lack of mechanisms that ensure state accountability

• Policies that guarantee access to adequate information and transparency (including in relation to fiscal transparency); freedom of information laws.
• Policies related to public disclosure of lobbying activities including: a lobbying register which provides names of clients, subject matters they lobby on, firms income from lobbying and lobbying expenses (including any contributions to political campaigns); provisions which ensure access to information on lobbying activities (such as the publication of ministerial diaries reporting meetings held in past month/quarter with lobbyists).
• Policies to ensure disclosure of all political financing (and separate reporting of electoral campaign financing), including: the specific identification of donors who provide donations exceeding a certain value; provisions to ensure the financial accounts of political parties are made available to both the regulator and the public; provisions to ensure a properly resourced and functioning audit body/regulator to oversee political finance.
• Policies that ensure public access to registers of interests of elected members of government, containing declarations of all income sources, companies owned, as well as all involvement in companies or other bodies (e.g.. boards they sit on).
• Policies for the public disclosure of the annual tax declarations of elected members of government; regulations to prohibit the use of tax havens/secrecy jurisdictions.

6.3 Lack of mechanisms that prevent corruption, and the formal and informal use of excessive power and influence by specific groups

• Policies to protect whistle-blowers in both the public and private sector (and when public sector functions are outsourced to private contractors) to encourage the reporting of misconduct, fraud and corruption including: comprehensive and robust legislation with a clear definition of protected disclosures and the people to be afforded protection, and clear definitions of retaliatory action, remedies and sanctions and the protection to be afforded.
• Policies which cap the amount of political donations from wealthy individuals (single donors) and corporations (or prohibit these entirely), with parties’ operations and election activities being funded from government budgets.
• Policies to regulate the ‘revolving door’ issue such as restrictions on public officials engaging with a lobbying firm (or taking a private sector appointment where they may lobby their previous colleagues) after leaving the public sector; or similar restrictions on lobbyists filling regulatory or advisory posts in government.

6.4 Lack of institutions that promote inclusion and participation

• Policies that enable formal citizen participation and oversight, including inclusive and transparent budgeting processes at national and local levels, citizen satisfaction surveys, public consultations and participatory planning initiatives, and the involvement of civil society in formal advisory groups of the government.
• Policies that support the formation of stakeholder groups in society and their ability to participate in decision-making processes including: legislation that supports and enables the formation of trade unions; education in schools in relation to democracy, good governance and participation; a favourable legal environment for the establishment and operation of civil society organisations (including freedom from state interference); provisions that mandate consultation by public/private institutions (hospitals, schools, landlords) with stakeholder groups (tenancy associations, patients’ groups etc.) and the provision of mechanisms for receiving and responding to complaints from stakeholders.

6.5 Harmful social and cultural norms which diminish the voice, participation, representation and influence of certain groups

• Policies related to the concentration of media ownership and a free press such as: limits regarding the cross-ownership of different media types (limitations on the number of licenses held across radio, television, press or limitations on ownership shares across mediums); ceilings on market share; legal provisions to control media mergers in the public interest; legal standards for commercial broadcasters and privately owned newspapers related to balanced content and journalistic ethics; provisions to ensure a properly resourced and functioning media regulator.
• Policies that address harmful social and cultural norms that discourage women, members of ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities and other minority groups from speaking out, participating in stakeholder groups, political groups and standing for election.