ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with a question: how feasible is it to call upon ordinary people to come forward and take part in decision making, not just locally, but in relation to the institutions of central government? There have been numerous citizen participation initiatives in recent years, using citizen juries, peoples' panels, consultative forums and other techniques. The idea of a Citizens Council represented a novel addition. The chapter considers seven messages relating to the twin questions of 'citizen competence' and 'citizen capture'. It emphasises the need to actively foster citizen potential in order to help the councillors produce a report that can be used by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the complex daily process of developing guidance. Public debate often portrays modern citizens as individualistic, cynical and disaffected or apathetic. In terms of practical politics, there was no way that the Citizens Council could be an island.
