2024 is a historic year, with over 50 countries heading to the polls. What does this mean for citizen engagement and the current state of democracy?

I had the pleasure of discussing this topic with my dear friend, the brilliant Jon Alexander, Founder of the New Citizen Project and author of “Citizens: Why the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us”, along with Beatriz Cano Buchholz, International Development and Social Innovation Expert, and Adrian Brown, Executive Director of the Centre for Public Impact, in the first episode of the new season of the Centre for Public Impact podcast on ‘Government in the Year of Elections.’

Free and fair elections are essential, but they are not enough. Systems must evolve to include all voices, especially those of the most marginalized, between elections and outside of political campaigns.

It’s dangerous for society as a whole when political leaders are disconnected from reality. The damage caused by powerful politicians on the global stage—fueling hatred, funding genocide, ignoring election results—not only undermines the majority but also erodes the credibility of the political class worldwide. The gap between citizens and ‘activist’ political leaders striving to improve the world has never been wider.

Yes, such politicians do exist, though we rarely hear about them—bad news dominates the headlines, and good work is seldom praised in the media. When it is, it often becomes the target of smear campaigns funded by groups, political parties, or corporations threatened by their efforts. Yet the public would benefit from knowing about these leaders and their participatory, inclusive methods, which they use to collaborate with fellow citizens in creating a better world—one that may be hard to envision today but is absolutely possible.

When describing the podcast, Jon says:

‘Between us, I reckon we got into the real stuff… not just who is going to win, but why so many countries seem to be trapped in a downward cycle of trust. Why are so many people voting for the least bad option instead of something they believe in? What kind of leadership could inspire people to vote *for* something rather than *against*?’

Here’s the link to the podcast and to the transcript.