Key Terms
Key TermsCitizens’ Assemblies or Citizens’ Panels – larger or smaller groups of people, selected to be broadly representative of the wider population, who are invited to consider a topic together and come up with recommendationsDeliberative democracy – methods (including Citizens’ Assemblies and Panels) that allow participants to contribute to policy-making by discussing a topic in a structured, open and informed way that encourages consensusPublic (or citizen) participation – any way in which members of the public can play an active part in the Parliament’s workParticipative democracy – the idea that participation by the public should be a routine part of how a Parliament considers issues and reaches decisions (as an alternative to a purely representative democracy)Post-legislative scrutiny – scrutiny of a piece of legislation (e.g. an Act of the Scottish Parliament) after it has been in effect for a time, to consider how well it is workingRepresentative democracy – the traditional model in which elected members (such as MSPs...