Citizen Movements and Technological Policymaking in Germany

Abstract

In Germany, the mobilization of grass-roots citizen groups in the past two decades has posed a fundamental challenge to institutional politics. One important aspect of this challenge, which is often overlooked, is the relationship of democratizing movements to technology. Grass-roots protest arose mainly in reaction to large, state-sponsored technological projects. Citizen movements reopened the question of the citizen's proper role in technological decision making, which had long been part of theoretical discourse. Grassroots activists challenged not only policy decisions but also the legitimacy of the bureaucratic institutions that produced those decisions. Informed political participation has raised the technical competence of policy in Germany while eroding the legitimacy of traditional policymaking institutions. Citizen groups have since directed their efforts toward developing alternative political forms that will reconcile technical competence and participatory democracy. The theories of Claus Offe and Jürgen Habermas illuminate the legitimation problems that lead to citizen protest. A comparative analysis of grass-roots movements in several issue areas explores the various forms of citizen activism and their impact on German politics.