Exploring the Interplay Between Democratic Innovations and Social Sustainability: A Scoping Review

This scoping review explores the scholarship of democratic innovations in relation to social sustainability to map the existing literature and identify key trends, gaps, and methodological approaches. Extant research shows that democratic innovations enhance social sustainability by fostering inclusive governance, mitigating systemic inequalities, and ensuring diverse citizen participation in policymaking. However, this literature remains fragmented across disciplines and contexts. This review examines how these innovations have been studied in relation to social sustainability, highlighting the growing interest in participatory and deliberative mechanisms. The findings reveal a strong empirical focus, particularly on qualitative case studies, with research concentrated in Europe and North America, while regions in the Global South remain underrepresented. We find significant gaps in the literature, including the need for greater methodological diversity, comparative studies, and a broader geographic focus. This article offers an overview of the field and identifies priorities for future research and policy.