Various national policy processes affect local communities. The question is how can local stakeholders be included in these processes? Based on systems thinking, Raul Espejo offers principles and recommended practices for such participation.

Henrik Bang explores the question what it takes to connect democracy and good governance from local to global level. Democracy on the input side is about consensual decision-making, while good governance on the output side is about political action. In many cases, both are mistakenly mixed. He elaborates his argument by using the EU as an example. The EU has a democratic deficit on the input side, but earned capacities for good governance on the output side.

From a development studies perspective, the author takes a different look on institutional arrangements. According to him, debates on Political Excellence should consider innovative interpretations from developing countries more strongly. Moreover, he takes in a critical perspective on management-driven international aid. For him, the central question is about power relationships between citizens and organisations.

The authors propose a re-evaluation of our tax system. By means of a state-provided basic income, people would have their fair share of rising productivity and could take up employment they cherish.

From a Christian perspective, the quest for political excellence is described as a moral imperative, as the concept is attached to the ethical foundations of politics: peace, justice and prosperity for the people. Participation of civil society in politics and of politicians in society is highlighted as crucial.

A search for real representation through an effective empowerment of the political basis: the citizens. The article suggests to restructure the institutional framework and to encourage the education of citizens in order to allow for a widespread and responsible participation.

Jackson points out that social science have to abstain from value judgements. For him, political excellence is not free from it; he calls social science to step aside so as to widen the margin for politics. According to Jackson, this is the place where decisions have to be taken in society.

Democracy's mighty ideals are contrasted with the gross economical imbalance in the world. Policymakers are identified as key players, able to reproduce or change this societal order. The article tries to deconstruct the ideological work preventing policymakers from acting upon the discrepancies between the anaesthetized image of the system and its real effects. Feldman underscores the importance of a dialogue between social pundits and policymakers. 

The article creates a vision apart as the unequal distribution of votes is proposed. In the best possible world, socially desired behaviour would be incentivised. Kim Erichsen sketches a society which would not only be very different from our contemporary one but even more accurate in terms of participation and problem solving.

The study assesses the optimal degree of delegation in democratic societies from an institution economics perspective providing a theoretical analysis of the market for information in direct democracy.

One step towards Political Excellence on European level would be an approach to improve the EU system within its framework. Franck Biancheri proposes the establishment of a trans-European political party with one party programme in all member states to run for European elections.