Somerville, Peter (2011) Democracy and participation. Policy & Politics, 39 (3). pp. 417-437. ISSN 0305-5736

PDF Policy_and_Politics.pdf - Whole Document Restricted to Repository staff only Download (253Kb) | Request a copy

Abstract

The meaning of democracy is complex and contested (Gaventa, 2006: 21), and yet at its heart lies a simple and commonly understood idea. Similarly, participation is a deceptively simple notion in principle but in practice seems to be understood in many different ways. This paper interrogates these two concepts and attempts to clarify the relationship between them. As a Thematic Review paper, it focuses on debates relevant to interpreting and enacting democracy and participation, such as that on alleged ‘democratic deficits’. For reasons of brevity, the paper examines political decision making without reference to the different scales (local, national, etc) on which such decision making occurs.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	democratisation, neoliberalisation, representation, association, deliberation, ref22, refdoi
Subjects:	L Social studies > L200 Politics
Divisions:	College of Social Sciences > Faculty of Health & Social Sciences > School of Social & Political Sciences
Depositing User:	Alison Wilson
Date Deposited:	12 Jan 2012 21:15
Last Modified:	16 May 2013 16:32
URI:	http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/id/eprint/4852

Actions (login required)

View Item