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Democracy is at its strongest when a range of citizens are active in policy development and decision-making, but when our leaders consult the public it seems we hear the same voices speak up. Why don't more people engage in public debate, and what can be done to broaden the input base? (We'd like to thank the participants in the Australian Public Policy Research Network's online discussion forum for contributing many of these articles.)
Democracy is at its strongest when a range of citizens are active in policy development and decision-making, but when our leaders consult the public it seems we hear the same voices speak up. Why don't more people engage in public debate, and what can be done to broaden the input base? (We'd like to thank the participants in the