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Citizen Participation
The involvement of citizens in the public decision-making process to make government more accountable, responsive, and transparent. The involvement of citizens in the decision-making process emphasizes the role of citizens as contributors to the policies and programs that affect their lives and simply as recipients of government services. There are several different mechanisms to involve citizens in the decision-making process, including more traditional forms such as public hearings, legal and administrative arbitration, and advisory boards. More innovative and interactive mechanisms have been developed, such as electronic town meetings. Regardless of the techniques, there exists a tension between administrators and citizens. Administrators often view citizen involvement as time-consuming and inefficient, whereas citizens often view their involvement as perfunctory.