Citizen participation
It is often said that democracy is in decline or even in crisis. This is reflected in the decreasing trust of citizens in the functioning of democracy and government. At the same time, especially at the local level, there is a noticeable shift towards democratic innovation, such as increased citizen participation. In this form of democracy, decisions are not exclusively made by elected representatives; instead, citizens have a more direct voice in policy decisions through citizen panels and referenda, for example.