Explaining the Big Society

Well, I "got it" a long time ago, but for anyone who didn't, David Cameron's aide Ian Birrell has explained it in some detail in The Guardian, of all places to pick. Here is the crucial paragraph:

"At its core, the big society is an attempt to connect the civic institutions that lie between the individual and the state – and these range from the family and neighbourhood to churches, charities, libraries, local schools and hospitals. It is born out of recognition that our centralised state has become too big, too bureaucratic and just too distant to support many of those most in need of help, and that it deters people from playing a more active role in public life."

Sounds straightforward enough to me!