Reprezentacja i partycypacja. Radni miejscy wobec idei i mechanizmów partycypacji obywatelskiej
Representation and Participation. The Attitude of City Councillors Towards the Concept and Mechanisms of Citizen Participation

Summary/Abstract: Over recent decades, many European countries have witnessed a transformation of local representative democracy. This has resulted both from the reforms inspired by the concepts of New Public Management, local governance, structural and functional changes as well as the expanding mechanisms of citizen participation. The latter trend is especially visible in large Polish cities. The main objectives of this article are to present the attitude of city councilors towards the concept and mechanisms of citizen participation and to examine whether this ‘extended participation’ influences the status and role played by city councils in the governing process. The article is based on empirical research conducted in 18 Polish cities. The results indicate that elected representatives, in general, support the idea of ‘citizens’ involvement in the decision-making process. Most of them, however, recognize the current mechanisms of civic engagement as sufficient, promoting the need to streamline their operation.

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