12 AXES / PROJECT GUIDE

Participation

How much should citizens decide directly or through elected representatives?

What is at stake

Direct decision making values consultations and frequent citizen involvement. Representation values delegation, continuity and the accountability of elected officials. Both mechanisms can belong to a democratic system.

A situation to think about

Participatory budgeting opens decisions to a community, but it needs time and rules so that only the most available groups do not dominate. Representatives can devote more time to a topic but must account for their decisions.

How to read your position

The bar summarizes the direction of your answers in this set of questions. The center can reflect neutral answers or opposing preferences that balance out. A result near a pole does not imply agreement with every idea associated with that pole. Check how many valid answers contributed: skipped questions reduce the range of situations represented.

The contrast is an editorial simplification. Some practical policies combine both priorities. Write down one condition that would make you change your answer, then compare it with the situation above.