LOCAL CITIZEN CONSULTATIONS: BETWEEN GOVERNMENT LEGITIMATION AND CITIZEN EMPOWERMENT

Abstract

In recent years, there has been renewed interest in referendums and citizen consultations at both national and local levels. These forms of direct democracy have been little studied so far. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for analyzing five case studies of local experiences that have highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of citizen consultation processes. Their strengths lie mainly in their flexibility and ability to help rulers make decisions in difficult situations while their weaknesses have to do, above all, with the difficulties of situating them in a context of debate and public information and also the limited interest citizens have shown in them.