OECD Discussion Paper: “… starts from the premise that democracies are endowed with valuable assets and that putting citizens at the heart of policy making offers an opportunity to strengthen democratic resilience. It draws on data, evidence and insights generated through a wide range of work underway at the OECD to identify systemic challenges and propose lines of action for the future. It calls for greater attention to, and investments in, citizen participation in policy making as one of the core functions of the state and the ‘life force’ of democratic governance. In keeping with the OECD’s strong commitment to providing a platform for diverse perspectives on challenging policy issues, it also offers a collection of thoughtprovoking opinion pieces by leading practitioners whose position as elected officials, academics and civil society leaders provides them with a unique vantage point from which to scan the horizon. As a contribution to an evolving field, this Discussion Paper offers neither a prescriptive framework nor a roadmap for governments but represents a step towards reaching a shared understanding of the very real challenges that lie ahead. It is also a timely invitation to all interested actors to join forces and take concerted action to embed meaningful citizen participation in policy making…(More)”.