Abstract:
This paper develops an account of role responsibilities associated with social movement participation in a democracy. It makes three main contributions. First, it conceptualizes participation in social movements as a kind of social role with distinctive responsibilities, somewhat analogously to accounts of professional role morality. This is a distinctively civic approach to theorizing, considering the choice points that citizens face, rather than an omniscient constitutional designer or omnipotent reformer. Second, it articulates democratic learning as a normative criterion for evaluating how those occupying this role should pursue collective advocacy, highlighting the importance of higher-order effects on democratic systems. Finally, it situates this criterion within a systemic understanding of democracy that integrates deliberative and agonistic traditions. This perspective helps clarify how civic actors can contribute to democracy’s performance and robustness, while embracing contestation and disagreement. By drawing these connections, the project contributes to ongoing efforts to reconceptualize democracy as a system for problem-solving and collective learning, while highlighting the contributions that non-state civic actors can make to democratic governance.