In the age of participatory governance, consultation has become a political buzzword. It’s everywhere—on official websites, in press releases, in policy rollouts promising engagement with stakeholders, communities, and civil society. On paper, this looks like progress. The rise of task forces, citizen juries, and expert panels suggests a new era of inclusivity and deliberation in public policy. But beneath this inclusive façade lies a more strategic function: the careful orchestration of blame avoidance.
This article examines how participatory structures, far from being neutral vehicles of democratic input, are often co-opted into performative rituals. With the help of problematization, we’ll unpack how engagement can shift from meaningful participation to carefully managed theater—designed less to share power than to protect it…
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