Evaluative Democracy--Summary of Four Types

All different types of Evaluative Democracy include some component of citizen evaluation committees.

1. Citzen-reasoner Evaluative Democracy:

In citizen-reasoner Evaluative Democracy, citizens of a constituency submit reasons for and againt political candidates. The reasons are then evaluated, by citizen evaluation committees, based on their relevancy, validity, and verification according to the better interest of the constituency as a whole. (A public forum prior to the formation of the citizens evaluation committees would determine the priorities of the constituency.) The evaluation process is made up four tiers of evaluation committees: first level evaluations, second or main evaluators, third level evaluators, and fourth level evaluators, and it would be open to public dispute and criticism. The fourth level evaluators, based on the public submitted reasons and evaluations, would make the final determination as to who are the political representatives.

Due to the potential complexity of Citizen-reasoner Evaluative Democracy, it is likely more suited for a small population centre.

2. Electoral Evaluative Democracy:

In Electoral Evaluative Democracy, there would be three citizen evaluation committees in each consistuency. The committees would evaluate political canidates and their policies, visions, basic budgets, and background, according to the better interest of the constituency as a whole. (A public forum prior to the formation of the citizens evaluation committees would determine the priorities of the constituency.) Then, the results of the citizen evaluation would be made available to the public of the constituency, and they would vote on the results to determine the political representative. Campaining by political candidates would be limited to three public speeches, three public debates, and three public question and answer. Also, there would be restrictions on any attempts by the private media to influence and/or manipulate (in an unfair, undemocratic way) the voting public.
Criticism: Regardless of restrictions on the private media, it appears that voters as in the present western political system would be higly susceptible to influence and manipulation, politically, through the private sector via dominant parties, mainstream media, and corporations. Hence, Electoral Evaluative Democracy does not appear to be a viable solution to the problems with the current western political system.

3. Citizen-evaluation Evaluative Democracy:

In Citizen-evaluation Evaluative Democracy, a citizen evaluation committee would evaluate political candidates and their policies, visions, basic budgets, and backgrounds, according to the better interest of a constituency as a whole. (A public forum prior to the formation of the citizens evaluation committees would determine the priorities of the constituency.) The candidate determined by the citizen committee to be in the better interest would be the political representative.

Criticism: though this type of Evaluative Democracy is an improvement on Citizen-reasoner and Electoral Evaluative Democracy by reducing complexity and eliminating voting, it still entails political parties and their supporters, and the resulting influence and manipulation stemming from them. So Citizen-evaluation is an improvement, it does not appear to go far enough.

4. Independent Evaluative Democracy:

In Independent Evaluative Democracy, there would be no political parties or organizations. All candidates vying to be a political representative would be independent.
Citizen Evaluation Committees would evaluate the candidates and their policies, visions, basic budgets, and backgrounds in terms of the better interest of a constituency as a whole. (A public forum prior to the formation of the citizens Evaluation Committees would determine the priorities of the constituency. Moreover, the evaluation process would be viewable by the public, and the evaluations themselves would be open to public dispute and criticism.)

The independents selected would form government whether at the municipal, state/provincial, or national level. The independents would function based on consensus, and would determine positions in government based on the results of Citizen Evaluation Committees. All decisions of government would be according to the better interest of a municipality, or state/province, or country, depending on the level of government.

Comment: Independent Evaluative Democracy by eliminating political parties and voting, and emphasising collective interest and evaluation (the basis for sound decision-making) throughout the political and governmental processes, appears to be a viable solution (and necessary paradigm shift) to deal with the irreparable problems with the current western political system.

Criticism: It may be said that because Independent Evaluative Democracy eliminates voting, it denies the say of the people. This argument ignores or overlooks that voters regardless of their critical reasoning skills are subject to influence and/or manipulation politically. So the the people really do not have a say in electoral systems.
Independent Evaluative Democracy offers a different form of public participation through public forums on priorities, public transparency of the evaluation process (in which the process can be viewed by the public), public dispute and criticism of evaluations, and citizen-initiated recall evaluations.