Public management and citizen participation in the 21st century
Keywords:
Public management, citizen participation, collaborative governance, transparency, social innovationAbstract
This article critically examines the relationship between public management and citizen participation in the 21st century, within a context marked by institutional legitimacy crises and growing demands for substantive democracy. Using a mixed-methods approach, five representative cases from Latin America and Europe are analyzed, combining document review, surveys with 500 key stakeholders, and social media network analysis. Findings indicate that participatory mechanisms with deliberative or decision-making power—such as participatory budgeting and citizens’ assemblies—have a measurable impact on government efficacy (r=0.72), whereas symbolic consultation remains a form of tokenism. Three major challenges are identified: the gap between participation and real decision-making, the structural exclusion of vulnerable groups (inclusion average = 1.9/5), and the technocratization of processes without meaningful feedback. The study argues that overcoming these limitations requires robust institutional design, transformative political will, and binding mechanisms to ensure real citizen influence. These are essential to fostering democratic, inclusive, and public-value-oriented governance.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Jomaira Lisbeth Gómez-Villa, Laura Elvira Figueroa-Quila, Freddy Kimberley López-Vera, Liliana Napa-Arévalo
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