Title: The Importance of Citizen Participation | Voxcitio
Headings: The Importance of Citizen Participation
The Importance of Citizen Participation
Brendan Tobin
The Value of Citizen Participation
Various Forms of Citizen Participation
The Challenge
Getting the People Interested
Ultimately, Engagement is Better

Content: Citizens should be considered a partner in governance, sharing with them responsibilities and elaborating together local plans of action. So far, engaging citizens in policy-making allows governments to obtain new sources of ideas and exchange information, during the decision-making process. It develops a process of education where citizens and policy-makers when working together during the decision-making process by trying through serious efforts to do the best for their community, reflects about various issues. Although the process of citizen’s participation is not simple, it’s important because citizen’s involvement makes the implementation of a decision or a policy more likely. The public would be not likely to assist with implementation of a decision, plan or policy unless public officials have their constituents on board with a particular decision plan. Citizen’s involvement in governance helps to build accountability and responsibilities for both public officials and the citizens
Getting the People Interested
Some individuals in specific areas live outside the realm of ‘community’, not switched on to its importance. Rural places have an innate sense of community compared to some urban areas. Key factors for success in citizen engagement in politics include: 1) Exchange of information
2) Consultation by public participation
Governments everywhere have been criticized for creating distance with people, for their lack of sensitivities regarding civic concerns, leaving them out from governance. There is a need for a greater government transparency and accountability, especially by promoting public media scrutiny of government actions.