Local politicians' attitudes towards participatory initiatives: a Bulpittian perspective

The mixed attitudes that councillors have towards participatory initiatives present a challenge for policy-makers and for the designers of these initiatives. Using a framework adapted from the ideas of Jim Bulpitt, this article provides an original analysis of existing research and concludes that only consultation and co-governance initiatives are likely to find favour with local politicians. While concerned primarily with the UK, the analysis may be applicable to representative local governments in other countries.