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While direct democracy was the original concept, its representative version is the most widespread today. [4] Public participation, in this context, is the inclusion of the public in the activities of a polity. It can be any process that directly engages the public in decision-making and gives consideration to its input. [5]
The principle of public participation holds that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process. Public participation implies that the public's contribution will influence the decision. [1] [2] Public participation may be regarded as a form of empowerment and as a vital part of democratic ...
Civic engagement can take many forms—from individual volunteerism, community engagement efforts, organizational involvement, and electoral participation.These engagements may include directly addressing a problem through personal work, community based, or work through the institutions of representative democracy. [4]
[5] [6] Voter enfranchisement and political participation are two key democratic ideals that ensure the engagement of citizens in the political sphere. Who has the right to suffrage has changed over the centuries and universal suffrage is necessary for a nation to be considered a democracy and not a dictatorship. [7]
A cultural variation of participation can be seen through the actions of Indigenous American Cultures. Participation draws from two aspects: respect and commitment to their community and family. The respect is seen through their participation in non-obligated participation in various aspects of their lives, ranging from housework to fieldwork. [12]
Sometimes the term civil society is used in the more general sense of "the elements such as freedom of speech, an independent judiciary, etc, that make up a democratic society" (Collins English Dictionary). [3] Especially in the discussions among thinkers of Eastern and Central Europe, civil society is seen also as a normative concept of civic ...
Effective participation, by contrast, is conducted on the assumption that each different situation will require a different design, using a new combination of tools as part of an evolving cycle of action and reflection by the institution involved. [8] Each "experiment" in participatory democracy contains a unique mix of people and institutions.
If learners are to "develop a democracy," some scholars have argued, they must be provided the tools for transforming the non-democratic aspects of a society. Democracy in this sense involves not just "participation in decision making," a vision ascribed especially to Dewey, but the ability to confront power with solidarity. [79] [80]