Participation in Legislatures: Meanings and Justifications (original) (raw)
The aim of this paper is to discuss a framework to support the analysis of the development of public engagement by parliaments, focusing on the meanings and justifications given for the promotion of participation in what is a representative institution, Parliament. Most studies on processes of participation in decision-making tend to focus on the Executive, a power that creates different expectations for citizens, especially because of their capacity to deliver public services. This paper aims therefore to discuss and present a typology to frame the analysis of participatory tools within parliament. This typology consists of two different dimensions (ideal-types): 1) strategic, related to the process of institutionalization of the Parliament and the gain of more political legitimacy; 2) normative, which means the expansion of the concept of representation and the enhancement of the public debate associated with principles of equity and discursive accountability. These two dimensions are not necessarily exclusive, although each presents central concepts that distinguish them.
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