Collaborative forms of citizen (e-)participation

Abstract

An important category of government–citizen interactions comprises various forms of citizen participation that can be described as cooperation, collaboration, or coproduction. The essence of such relations between public agencies and citizens is a collaboration in policy-making and the implementing of policy decisions on shared goals. Prominent collaborative (e-)participation models are participatory budgeting, citizen assemblies, citizen panels, community councils, round tables, and similar procedures, especially in domains such as urban and regional planning and local governance. Electronic communication and an expanding repertoire of Internet-based applications play an essential role in facilitating collaborative participation. Possible impacts can be increased influence of citizens on public decision-making and positive effects on the implementation of policies, on transparency, political culture, and the competences of participants.