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Citizen Participation: Rationales and Approaches

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  • First Online:
Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance

Synonyms

Engagement; Involvement; Participation; Process

Definition

Citizen participation is a process by which citizens’ concerns and needs are encompassed in the policy decision-making process of the local authority. The process requires a combination of joined relationships – an activity in which citizens attempt to affect government decisions to improve them, while the local authority activities should match the citizen’s views and needs appropriately.

Introduction

Citizen participation is generally held to be a good thing in the public administrative decision-making. The focus on citizen participation increased in practice mainly because government officials have assumed more responsibilities in the local governance of the communities and with much less and limited resources. But also they realized the opportunities associated with the process, as it provides valuable insights on the needs, priorities, and information on what it matters to the local community.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management and Law, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

    Cristina Mititelu

  2. Open University Business School, Faculty of Business and Law, Milton Keynes, UK

    Cristina Mititelu

Authors
  1. Cristina Mititelu
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Correspondence to Cristina Mititelu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA

    Ali Farazmand

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Mititelu, C. (2019). Citizen Participation: Rationales and Approaches. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3635-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3635-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31816-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31816-5

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