ABSTRACT
Much has been said and written in recent years about the claim that local democracy in Norway is in crisis. The most striking symptoms of crisis are the decline in electoral turnout and diminishing membership of the political parties. Public authorities in Norway, on both the central and local levels, have initiated various strategies to counteract what is generally seen as an undesirable development. What we are witnessing is a somewhat paradoxical development where political rights and popular political participation are being furthered by political elites. Historically, participatory rights have been established through a long popular struggle. These days it seems as if public authorities are running after the masses to make them participate. The elites struggle to bring the citizens back in. On a positive note these programs may be capable of laying down the foundations of participation from below. However, one sometimes suspects that government-sponsored democracy programs aim at involving the public as accomplices to elite policies.
