Exploring Local Democracy Profiles: Perceptions of Participatory Practices and Roles among Lithuanian Municipal Councilors

Local democracy has been widely discussed as a crucial element for developing the normative background of local institutions, where political skills and capacities are advanced. Nevertheless, there is less knowledge of the mechanisms connecting local democratic institutions with citizens’ voices and community engagement practices. Local politicians are considered mediators between ordinary citizens and local political processes. Following the discussion on the distinction between representative and participatory elements of local democracy, we empirically examined the relationship between local democracy notions of councilors and their roles and functions as local political representatives. Our empirical results suggest that the more councilors employ participatory democracy elements, the higher their perception of community engagement and facilitator roles for local politicians. On the contrary, the policy-making roles of councilors are less supportive of the notion of participatory democracy. The theoretical and empirical results also contribute to a broader understanding of the relationship between local political powers and local autonomy.