Deliberation and participation may seem like similar concepts. At their core, they are: both deliberative and participatory democracies are systems that include citizens in governance. In both deliberative and participatory democracies, citizens play the starring role. And in both systems, citizens are empowered to let their voices be heard and weigh in on the way their community is governed.
Still, participation and deliberation are not the same, and the terms shouldn’t be used interchangeably. In short, whileparticipation focuses on empowering citizens to take action, deliberation focuses on discussion and debate between citizens and other stakeholders. While participation focuses on the actions themselves, deliberation focuses on the decision-making process that precedes policy-making. The two systems are therefore not opposing, but complementary and overlapping.
Examples of participation include polling, idea collection, surveys, and participatory budgeting. There are different participation methods that all have their specific value. An example of deliberation is a Citizens’ Assembly, a group of citizens that is called upon to deliberate on a course of action and formulate policy recommendations.
It should also be mentioned that access to information is essential to participate. Citizens should be able to access information about government programs and policies, their rights, the budget among others. They should also be able to request information. Not everyone has the time and desire to engage in participatory spaces, so meaningful participation starts with access to information.
This video, based on South Africa, exemplifies how citizens can be engaged in municipal processes.