A democracy built on communicative action: Bahá'í political practice as a prefigurative resource for institutional effectiveness, accountability, and inclusivity

Goal 16 of the UN sustainable development goals, which calls on global community to “build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels,” can be conceptualized as aiming fostering communicative action, a concept developed by Jürgen Habermas describe mode for coordinating society grounded in deliberation. However, simultaneously provides an account structural transformation public sphere that suggests hard limit capacity mainstream capitalist liberal democracies foster genuine action relationships between institutions, individuals communities. This paper therefore argues critical role prefigurative politics, communities strive internally embody desired socio-political forms rather than focusing changing wider order, vital resource generating examples inform institutional progress. The example Baha'i demonstrates norms practices may illustrate path out dynamic identifies system colonizing lifeworld, protecting social coordination. form found is situated context telic- organic model individuals, institutions. contrasts conceptual underpinnings this with individualistic conceptions human nature are argued undermine democracy's action. At core within distinctive deliberation, known “consultation”. rational-critical consultation offer nuance Habermas' ideal debate sphere. formal democratic structures processes Bahá'í also explored arguably meets challenge 16. concludes initial reflections process might brought bear performance society.