Citizen Participation

Abstract

‘Citizen participation’ refers to citizen involvement in public decision making. In different interpretations, ‘citizens’ may be either individuals or organized communities, and ‘participation’ may involve either observation or power. The phrase ‘citizen participation’ came into use to denote remedial efforts to involve inactive citizens or clients in government activity, but it can include autonomous citizen activities in the larger society, such as locality or community development, social planning, and social action. Arguments for citizen participation variously emphasize benefits to individuals, communities, organizations, and the society, including increased knowledge, authority, power, and problem-solving ability. The purposes of citizen participation include communicating information, developing relationships, developing the capacity to act, and preserving or changing conditions. Citizens can exercise different amounts of power in engaging in these purposes. The means of citizen participation include groups and formal organizations, meetings, inquiries, action, and technical assistance. When ‘citizen participation’ refers to communities, participation poses questions of representation. Some citizens, particularly the better educated and wealthier, generally have greater ability to participate than others. There are examples of citizen participation that has accomplished its purposes and solved problems, but empirical data are sketchy, and no systematic evaluation of citizen participation is possible at this time.