Summary WRR-report Confidence in Citizens in English

A comprehensive summary of the WRR-report Confidence in Citizens (Vertrouwen in Burgers) is now available on this website (see below).

Citizen involvement

In its report Confidence in Citizens (Vertrouwen in burgers), the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) gives an assessment of how policymakers could involve citizens more in the active shaping of society. Actively involved citizens are of great importance for a living democracy. They keep MPs and government agencies on their toes, constantly refresh society with their ideas and initiatives and provide a platform of support for policy. It is therefore worrying that only small groups of citizens feel engaged by the way in which policymakers attempt to involve them.

Fields of civic involvement

Through a combination of a literature review and field research, the Council assesses the options and opportunities for persuading citizens to become actively involved in society. The Council identifies three fields of civic involvement - policy participation, civic participation and civic initiative - and puts forward recommendations for increasing the involvement of citizens in all these fields. Two principles are essential in the role played by policymakers: thinking from the perspective of the citizen and increasing the opportunities for civic involvement.

The WRR presented the first copy of the report on 22nd of may 2012 to Prime Minister Mark Rutte.