Guides on Citizen Engagement for Parliaments: Principles of Parliamentary Public Engagement

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There is an increasing understanding among parliaments that their relationship with citizens needs to go beyond the ballot box. With trust in institutional politics declining around the world, public engagement is an essential tool for safeguarding parliamentary democracy into the future.

Public engagement includes many different types of activities, from education about parliamentary processes to participation in parliamentary business. In this Guide we take a step back and consider the core principles that should drive public engagement activities in general. This Guide identifies eight parliamentary public engagement principles.

We showcase examples from a wide range of countries and political systems – with different levels of resources, including older, newer, larger and smaller parliaments – to illustrate each principle.

This publication was developed by the International Parliament Engagement Network (IPEN), in partnership with Inter Pares. It was produced with the financial support of the European Union as part of the Inter Pares I Parliaments in Partnership project, implemented by International IDEA. Its contents are the sole responsibility of International IDEA and IPEN and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

Explore the full suite of Citizen Engagement Guides for actionable tips and inspiration to strengthen your parliament's engagement with the public on the Inter Pares page. Click for more information.

Check out our podcast: Beyond the Walls: Rethinking Parliament as Public Space.