Use of English

Public Voice

In any healthy democracy, elections are only one part of the (0) PICTURE. What matters just as much is the extent to which ordinary citizens take an active (1) .......... in public life between elections. Voting may give governments legitimacy, but it does not automatically (2) .......... that leaders will remain responsive to the people who chose them. For that reason, many political thinkers argue that democracy depends on citizens being willing to speak (3) .........., attend meetings, join campaigns and hold institutions to account. Citizen participation can take many forms, ranging from signing petitions to taking part in local consultations. Such involvement helps ensure that decisions are not made in complete (4) .......... from the communities they affect. It can also bring to light problems that officials might otherwise overlook. At the same time, participation is not always easy. People may feel that their views will be ignored, or that politics is too complex to (5) .......... with. Even so, when citizens are given genuine opportunities to contribute, they are more likely to develop a stronger sense of (6) .......... over public decisions. In the long run, democracy is weakened if people become detached and simply (7) .......... back while others shape society on their behalf. A system works best when responsibility is widely (8) .......... and citizens see participation not as a burden, but as a civic duty.