The Open Political Laboratory – glpLab

Democracy

Experimenting with new ideas: fresh impulses for the Swiss political system

The open political laboratory “glpLab” is a grassroots project, initiated in 2016 by political entrepreneurs with backgrounds in innovation, politics and science. Its goal is to modernise the political system of Switzerland together with the people and in collaboration with a political party using a crowdsourcing approach. The Swiss political system is based on voluntarism and local engagement. However, more and more people no longer engage in politics, due to increased mobility and incompatibility with their everyday life. Political interest shifts away from regional engagement towards a more theme-focused and temporary involvement. The “Politlabor – glpLab” addresses the current and future needs of political participation in Switzerland – and of political parties, given their important function in civic education. In so called “idea kitchens” and “expert meetings” it addresses specific topics and allows an open discussion among interested people and experts. Resulting proposals are brought into the political process as initiatives.