Differentiating between concepts like active citizenship, citizen participation, and public participation can be difficult, particularly where the differences are nuanced or context specific.
The terms are often used synonymously, especially when used outside of literature that deals specifically with public engagement by the government. This can and does lead to confusion and conflation. Equally, the importance of active citizenship and participation can sometimes get lost in the jargon.
The following article breaks down these concepts, highlighting how they overlap and how they differ, and most importantly explores their significance in creating an engaged polity.
What Is Active Citizenship?
Active citizenship is about individuals engaging with politics and other systems of governance in ways that go beyond simply voting in elections. An active citizen takes personal responsibility for making change happen, particularly at the local level.
Active citizenship does not presume any individual has the power to make significant change alone. But it eschews the idea that most people are powerless to affect politics and policy and therefore should simply wait for change to happen.
Active citizenship can take various forms, including:
- Participating in protests or signing petitions.
- Starting or supporting campaigns.
- Volunteering for community projects or local causes.
- Advocating publicly for a cause, particularly one centred around justice or equality.
- Making informed choices by actively seeking out information about policy and ongoing political issues.
- Seeking out and taking part in public engagement exercises.
Active Citizenship is about more than just being informed. It’s about being motivated to do something with that information. It operates on a spectrum, from small, low effort actions like obeying laws and paying taxes, to more broad, active engagement aimed at tackling systemic injustices.
Citizens are empowered by active citizenship to become “changemakers”, driving societal shifts in a more inclusive and just direction. A large enough number of active citizens can strengthen a democracy and help build fairer, more resilient societies.
“Active Citizens are people who feel inspired. They are people who feel motivated and empowered to make a difference. People who have the drive and the know-how to make sure ideas don’t just remain ideas.”
– Active Citizens British Council
What Is Citizen Participation?
Citizen participation refers to the involvement of individuals and local groups in shaping their community, particularly when it comes to public policy decisions. Unlike citizen engagement, which is usually initiated by governments or public bodies themselves, citizen participation is driven from within the community. Citizens attend public meetings, join community projects, vote, or provide feedback, often in informal, discussion-based formats.
Effective citizen participation allows people to share information with others in their community. Through this they build the relationships and knowledge necessary to take action. Activities associated with citizen participation include:
- Neighbourhood groups and informal meetings.
- Group attendance at public meetings.
- Collective, grassroots actions taken within communities.
- Social media groups and online information sharing.
“The purposes of citizen participation include communicating information, developing relationships, developing the capacity to act, and preserving or changing conditions. Citizens can exercise different amounts of power in engaging in these purposes.”
– H.S. Baum, in International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences
Citizen participation can be sporadic and ad hoc, with organisers sometimes having issues mobilising enough people to create a diverse and representative space. However, it can still create important opportunities for communication between citizens and decision-makers, and within communities themselves. Whether through organised events or informal channels, it enables citizens to voice their concerns and contribute to change.
What Is Public Participation?
Public participation is any process that seeks to involve the public in decision-making by giving consideration to their input throughout a project or policy-making process.
Public participation is not a single activity, but rather a long-standing strategy designed to inform stakeholders, gather their input, and ensure their perspectives are reflected in decisions that affect them and their communities.
This concept differs somewhat from citizen participation, despite sometimes being used synonymously.
- Citizen participation refers specifically to the active involvement of individual citizens in civic and political processes.
- Public participation has a broader focus, encompassing a range of stakeholders including specific interest groups and broader communities.
Public participation ensures policy-makers and public bodies making planning decisions have access to a diverse range of perspectives. This can lead to more sustainable outcomes that have anticipated possible issues during the consultation process.
By involving the public in this broad sense, facilitators such as local government officials can help build capacity for future decision-making and policy planning. Public participation is an essential tool for good governance. It reflects the principle that all those affected by decisions should have a voice in shaping them.
What Are the Differences Between Active Citizenship and Active Participation?
Active citizenship and active participation share the common goals of creating a society where everyone is involved in the democratic processes that shape their lives.
Their differences are largely semantic. Active Citizenship is used to describe a philosophy of engagement, where Active Participation and Public Participation could be described as that philosophy put into practice:
- Active citizenship focuses on the overall role of individuals in contributing to their society. It involves both formal and informal actions, such as volunteering, advocacy, and civic education.
- Active participation and public participation is more specific and structured, involving direct involvement in decision-making processes, such as public consultations or advisory boards. It can be done entirely through citizen-organised bottom-up activities, but it often requires collaboration with institutions or authorities.
In short, ‘Active Citizens’ take part in ‘Active Participation’ activities, and in ‘Public Participation’ activities alongside other stakeholders and interest groups.
Why Are Active Citizenship and Citizen Participation Important?
It is a commonly stated goal of local government, public bodies, and any organisation involved with the processes that underpin our democracy to improve public engagement in decision-making.
However, sometimes the reason for prioritising this is lost in translation. Citizen engagement and participation can be seen as just another hurdle to overcome in the already complex field of governance.
There is a danger of not being aware of why active participation of citizens is vital to democracy. According to Sherry Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation, this can lead to these processes becoming tokenistic, and ultimately to citizens becoming disengaged and disaffected.
The benefits of active citizenship and participation include:
Increasing the Legitimacy of Policy Decisions
Where citizens take an active role in making the day-to-day decisions within their communities – particularly in the policies and projects that shape them – the decision-making process gains considerable legitimacy.
Public institutions and local councils that listen to the concerns of residents and incorporate their input into policies create a sense of ownership over those policies. Those who feel that they had a say in the plans, policies and projects that affect them and their community are more likely to accept their legitimacy.
Building Public Trust in Local Government and Public Institutions
In a time where trust in government is low, active participation can help restore trust in public processes. An individual with no direct interaction with the decisions made for them and their local area may feel powerless, distrustful and disenfranchised.
However, a citizen who actively seeks to engage themselves with their local community by attending neighbourhood groups or public meetings and consultations is likely to be much more informed and involved. This transparency builds trust in the process as a whole.
More Effective Policy Development
Citizen participation brings a diverse range of perspectives to the table, ensuring that policies reflect the realities and needs of different groups. Where public bodies may sometimes struggle to engage specific communities, a culture of active citizenship encourages every person to get involved.
Greater levels of representation and a diversity of opinion and perspectives lead to policy-making that can anticipate the needs of the public most effectively.
Building Stronger Communities
Active citizenship is about creating a sense of shared purpose and collective responsibility. By working together to address common challenges, individuals and groups can strengthen community bonds and reduce divisions.
This can create empowered communities that know they have a real stake in their areas, which can lead to a stronger sense of belonging.
Communities with active citizens and robust participation mechanisms are also better equipped to respond to challenges. Communities where citizen and public participation is the norm are more resilient.
Case Study: Active Citizenship via Participatory Budgeting in Brazil
In 1989, Porto Alegre in Brazil introduced participatory budgeting as a way to give citizens a direct say in how public money is spent, especially in the city’s poorest areas. The initiative was designed to tackle corruption and engage marginalised groups who had often been left out of political decision-making. Participatory budgeting was used as a way of encouraging those people to become ‘active citizens’ and participate in the financial decision-making processes in their area.
The process used a series of public meetings, including neighbourhood assemblies and discussions, to encourage residents to come together to debate priorities and decide how funds would be allocated. These meetings were open to everyone.
The model has been remarkably successful in bringing underrepresented groups—such as women, ethnic minorities, and low-income residents—into the decision-making process. As a result, funding has consistently been directed to areas with the greatest need, helping to address inequality and improve infrastructure in the city’s poorest districts.
Even decades later, participatory budgeting in Porto Alegre is seen as a leading example of citizen participation.
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