Abstract
Citizen participation in decision making is being promoted in many countries transitioning from centralized to decentralized governance. Despite their common underlying premise, participatory programs vary in scope and nature. This study investigates the outcomes of promoting citizen participation in decision making in the municipality of Kuçova (Albania) where participation did not emerge from the community but rather was promoted by municipal leaders. Findings suggest that a top-down approach to participation in tandem with a bottom-up approach can be promising in a context that lacks a tradition of democratic participation. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the participatory program and draw several conclusions for promoting participation in decision making in a context characterized by a strong legacy of centralized governance and distrustful relationships between the local elite and community members.
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