The Technopolitical Plane: Decidim as a Democratic Software Paradigm

This chapter addresses the technopolitical dimension of Decidim and its implementation at various levels. First we delve into the technopolitical design principles of the project. We discuss the collaborative nature of Decidim, its collective approach to digital solutions and how the democratic implications of technological decisions are foreseen. We also touch upon critical design principles such as transparency, integrity, security and equality. Moving on, we explain the functional architecture of Decidim, viewing it as a sociotechnical code and a programming framework for participatory democracy. We examine the participatory spaces within Decidim, the various components that articulate the participation through the platform as well as the role of participants. Next, we briefly outline how to configure participatory processes and of assemblies, looking at their technical implementation. Finally, we present Metadecidim, the community that democratically shapes the software and the project. We explore its organisation, its governance, its legal constitution and its model of governance of the code. We also highlight the public-common approach, a form of collaboration between state and communities which makes Decidim an alternative model of software production.