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Participation as an Essential Element of an Active Civil Society
Characteristics of Participatory Democracy
Democracy, in the modern and general sense, is a system in which
citizens have sovereignty, and use it to choose their government and their
governors.
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Democracy has improved since its first manifestation in
Ancient Greece.The success of popular sovereignty, the implementation
of universal suffrage, the creation andmodernization of political parties,
respect for minorities, the declaration and guarantee of human rights,
as well as the universal vigilance to promote and strengthen democratic
systems, are some of the achievements of mankind’s struggle. There is a
key element missing in this list, however, which vitalizes and strengthens
democratic processes all over the world: citizen participation.
Citizen participation is critical to strengthening democracy, to activating
or reactivating the relationship between the state and civil society, with
the objective of deepening democracy. It allows individuals to have a
say in public activities and guarantees the defense of collective interests.
Participation allows citizens to be a part of decision-making, resolutions
and voting processes related to issues that affect them.
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Citizen participation must be integral, and made up of many stages,
including: participation in decision-making, the implementation of
decisions (or public policies), and participation in the enjoyment of
the resulting benefits.
Regarding participation in decision-making, this may take place
through a large group of individuals or through a specialized entity.
In the former there are situations that are fundamentally associated
with public affairs, such as choosing or selecting government officers,
whereby all citizens are consulted in an electoral process. The latter
case is more complex and interesting given that it requires a specialized
entity to adopt a decision, although citizens must necessarily be
involved in making that decision.
In this order of ideas, participation in decision-making is a process that
must include preparation, study and the identification of problems and
