Local_democracy_Barometer_English_version_2015.pdf

Reaching its second revised edition, the Local Democracy Barometer builds on the assumption that Romanian democracy is rather inconsistent, and varies from one locality to another. Some of these differences find explanations in the economic and social structuring that causes variations in the quality of democracy within the boundaries of a state, from one region to another, and from one locality to another. A well-established democracy comes along with correlative fundamental rights and obligations, that both the citizens and the State feel obliged to abide by, and safeguard. But where the State's institutions are rather fragile, or have been built in the aftermath of collapsed authoritarian regimes, the critical stage of the State safeguarding the rights and freedoms becomes a challenge. The key elements of any democracy, such as elections, access to information of public interest, and efficiency of local public administration given the needs of citizens, should all be monitored, as democracy shortcomings come into shape at local level. Overlooking the local level is a mistake for democracy development. As a rule, comparative studies rely on reviews of large cities, or tend to take closer looks into democracy as appearing in the capital city, whereas the local level is captured only in case studies or overall surveys that aim to measure public participation. The utility of the Local Democracy Barometer can be defined firstly by reference to citizens. Citizens are currently missing a tool they could use to assess and audit the community they belong to, and compare it against the performances of other counties. Under such circumstances, the Barometer provides contextualized information for each individual locality. (Bucharest, Brasov, Constanta, Giurgiu, Piatra Neamt, Braila, Iasi, Cluj, Craiova, Timisoara)