Dpart - Research For Political Participation

d|part is a non-profit, independent and non-partisan Think Tank. Our aim is to research and support different forms of political participation. Our research projects build the foundation for empirically sound statements about the state of political participation in Germany and Europe. We want to contribute creatively to the public discussion of this topic as an important component of a democratic civic society. The rapid development of society towards an information and knowledge society has changed the framework of our coexistence. Phenomena such as the Arab Spring or the increasing number of citizens' initiatives show new ways of how people organise and make their voices heard in the political realm. While social media and social networks gain importance, political parties are losing members and are fighting for legitimacy. Citizens seek alternatives for involvement in their national and local communities. We do not see this as signs of a crisis of democracy, rather of a crisis of established actors in representative democracy. The future of democracies depends on how citizens want to get involved in political decisions and how institutionalised democratic structures can adapt to this. This is where the work of d|part applies: Based on our extensive research in the area of political participation, we provide our expertise for solving practical participation problems.