Participatory governance : hope or danger for democracy? A case study of local agenda 21
By: GEISSEL, Brigitte
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ArticlePublisher: Oxfordshire : Routledge, August 2009Local Government Studies 35, 4, p. 401-414Abstract: Participatory governance is a concept that is receiving increasing prominence. However, more empirical research is needed to clarify whether participatory governance is benefical or detrimental to democracy. The local level is a dynamic field for participatory experiments and, therefore, particularly rewarding for researches interested in scrutinizing the impacts of participatory governance empirically. In this article, Local Agenda 21 serves as an example to discuss both hypotheses. The study, conducted predominantly in Germany, shows that neither the supporters nor the sceptics of participatory governance are completely right. The findings about Local Agenda 21 demonstrate that this form of participatory governance can improve civic skills and social capital, but has little impact on input-legitimacy and is barely effective, i.e. reaches the goal enforcing sustainable development only to a limited degree.
Participatory governance is a concept that is receiving increasing prominence. However, more empirical research is needed to clarify whether participatory governance is benefical or detrimental to democracy. The local level is a dynamic field for participatory experiments and, therefore, particularly rewarding for researches interested in scrutinizing the impacts of participatory governance empirically. In this article, Local Agenda 21 serves as an example to discuss both hypotheses. The study, conducted predominantly in Germany, shows that neither the supporters nor the sceptics of participatory governance are completely right. The findings about Local Agenda 21 demonstrate that this form of participatory governance can improve civic skills and social capital, but has little impact on input-legitimacy and is barely effective, i.e. reaches the goal enforcing sustainable development only to a limited degree.
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