Participation and Democracy in Theory and Practice

Abstract

This chapter outlines the main claims of participatory democracy in a way that makes sense in the context of the book. It distils some of the core elements of democratic thought in this area to focus on those aspects which are most problematic when faced with evidence over inequalities in participation. The chapter deals with three issues; (1) a brief outline of some of the core claims of participatory democracy, related to this, (2) an account of the significance of associational life for participatory democracy, and (3) a brief introduction to the complications brought about by the results of empirical work on participation and deprivation, which are dealt with in more detail in Chap. 3.