Games, Powers and Democracy

Picture a government that measures civic value on a numbered scale, with civic performances tallied on leader boards, like a football match. Imagine if civic value was viewed as a game played by everyday citizens, sometimes in competition, other times working in harmony towards a common goal. And imagine that winners were celebrated (and losers blamed) collectively. Sounds a little far-fetched? Think again. ‘Gamified’ public power is much closer to reality than it may first appear. Attempts to innovate policy-making through entailing game elements are ubiquitous, at both national and supranational levels. This book explores the potential - and describes the limits - of the use of gamification in the public sector. In doing so, this book aims to contribute to the task of imagining what the exercise of public power might become, including its promises and threats.