Participatory Democracy at the Local Level in CEE Country

• In Event: "Looking for Freedom" and Other Democratic Values

Abstract

The key issue for developing democracy is activity of citizens which is very often called
as civil society. Hence, the aim of the article is to find what is the citizen’s participation at local
level.
Contemporary research approaches and methodology, as well as the study of individual
cases are increasingly being discussed in the wide range of literaturę on political particpation
(Verba, Nie 1972; Barnes et al. 1979; Duch 1998; Dalton 1998, 2006, 2008; Inglehart,
Catterberg 2002; Barnes 2006; Bernhagen, Marsh 2007; Ekman, Amnå 2012; Lamprianou
2013; van Deth 2014; Escobar 2019).
I will focus on the most popular form of activity at local level in the context of political
and party identity: inhabitant consultation; country meeting; district meeting; local referendum.
No less important is the presence of involvement in institutional activities through membership
in a political party, trade unions, NGOs and local associations.
To summarize conducted research, it can be concluded that citizens declare their support
for the possibility of co-deciding on municipality budgets and possibility of strengthening their
participation through the available institutions of direct democracy in local governments, such
as the referendum or locals’ consults. This support is generally independent from sympathizing
with the different political parties or ideological viewpoints

Author

• Karolina Tybuchowska-Hartlińska, Uniwersity of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn