Local democracy in large municipalities: Co-creating democracy and rural development through multi-level participation structures and local development plans

摘要

Municipal amalgamations in Denmark in 2007 led to concern for local rural democracy, as the number of politicians from rural areas dropped after the reform. To preserve rural democracy, local councils at the village level were established in some municipalities, and they have begun to prepare local development plans. Based on a concrete study of plan development by two sub-municipal local councils in two Danish municipalities, drawing upon insights from outcome-oriented deliberate democratic theory, this article provides recommendations for a potential structure for sub-municipal democracy in large municipalities.