Governments are in a crisis of identity, some would say legitimacy, with election turnouts low in many OECD countries and a widespread feeling of disenchantment among citizens with government and the democratic process. Can governments do something to change this? Certainly, doing nothing is not...

This handbook offers government officials practical assistance in strengthening relations between government and citizens. It combines a brief review of basic concepts, principles, concrete examples of good practice, tools (including new information and communication technologies) as well as...

Robert Putnam hatte 1995 mit seinem Aufsatz "Bowling Alone" und seiner umfassenden Studie gleichen Titels im Sommer 2000 für Furore gesorgt, in denen er einen Verlust der gesellschaftlichen Bindekräfte und den Niedergang des bürgerschaftlichen Engagements, kurz: ein Schwinden des...

Evaluating Public Participation in Policy Making examines the key issues for consideration when evaluating information, consultation and public participation. It looks at theory and practice, and draws heavily upon the insights of experts from OECD countries. Rather than a technical manual for...