Nothing about us, without us?: a comparative case study of 'responsiveness' in two public participation processes at the German federal level

In: Empowering citizens: studies in collaborative democracy, S. 139-182

Abstract

"This contribution will consider processes on the lower rungs of Arnstein's ladder (classified as 'consultation') in more detail, so-called public dialogues initiated by government to ask participants to provide policy advice on a certain topic. It will explore how the initiating public sector ensures responsiveness to the participants' input, especially with regard to impact on macro-political decision- and policy-making. An increase in direct public participation possibilities currently seems to be hailed as the 'panacea' to the increasing frustration of citizens with the representative democratic system. This frustration has manifested itself as a waning trust in politicians and democratic institutions, a declining voter turnout at elections, and the loss of members in major political parties. But are participatory processes living up to their expectations? Are participants satisfied with the way participatory processes are conducted to date?" (extract)