Blueprints for democratic wellbeing
Think tank: Carnegie UK
Author(s): Professor Oliver Escobar; Professor Stephen Elstub
May 28, 2026
This report from UK think tank Carnegie UK explores efforts to strengthen public enagement and citizen deliberation.
Democratic wellbeing means people having voice and choice over the decisions that affect their lives. Strengthening parliamentary democracy is essential for improving democratic wellbeing in the UK. Building a stronger working relationship between parliamentarians and citizens can increase institutional capacity to address the challenges of our time.
This paper supports current efforts to strengthen public engagement and citizen deliberation in the four UK parliaments. It presents blueprints for institutionalising citizen deliberation. We call them ‘blueprints’ because they lay foundations to build institutions for the future, but they are not intended as rigid designs. The blueprints adapt well-known forms of citizen deliberation for diverse parliamentary purposes and contexts.
