Основні характеристики участі громадян у місцевому самоврядуванні

Abstract

The article provides a theoretical analysis of the essence of the process of citizen participation in local self-government. It is determined that public participation in local government should be understood as: independent participation of citizens (general public) in local self-government, in the forms of direct democracy; legalization of the activity of local self-government bodies by citizens through the exercise of suffrage and control rights; proper participation of citizens, social actors in decision-making and performance of the State tasks, including services, by local self-government bodies in the field of local, territorial or regional affairs, as well as the State affairs. It is noted that the existing scientific developments and the carried out analysis allowed to concludeaboutthe need to study public participation in local self-government based on the specification of key characteristics, namely the levels, forms and mechanisms of participation. The the groups of levels of public participation in local self-government and the hierarchy of the process of public participation depending on the level of public influence are interpreted according to the Sherry Arnstein classification. The practices of democratic countries regarding community participation in local affairs and direct participation in local self-government are analyzed and singled out. It is determined that one of the main tasks in this issue is the cooperation of citizens with the authorities to address pressing issues of national and local importance, which can be achieved through the introduction of direct forms of citizen participation in local self-government. Ukraine is actively transforming democratic processes and gradually forming a strong and active civil society. One of the main tasks in this issue is the cooperation of citizens with the authorities to address pressing issues of national and local importance, which can be achieved through the introduction of direct forms of citizen participation in local self-government. The key characteristics of the implementation of citizen participation in local self-government are given.