Civil Society and Participatory Governance - 9781138915749

Taylor & Francis

Civil Society and Participatory GovernanceMunicipal Councils and Social Housing Programs in Brazil\nAuthor(s): Maureen M. Donaghy\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd, United Kingdom\nImprint: Routledge\nISBN-13: 9781138915749, 978-1138915749\nSynopsis\nDemocratic institutions should promote accountability of government officials to the needs of citizens. Civil society plays a role in exposing corruption as well as in communicating the needs of low-income residents to officials. Neither the institutions of representative democracy nor the presence of civil society, however, appears to automatically guarantee adoption of social benefits for the poor. Can democratic institutions be created to address social challenges?\n\nScholars, development practitioners, donors, and activists propose participatory governance institutions as mechanisms to create accountability and responsiveness through a public forum incorporating civil society. To date, however, little comparati.