Digital Practices for Increasing Political Participation at the Municipal Level

The article is dedicated to the study of the possibilities of using digital tools to develop practices of political participation at the local government level. Digitalization of participation is in demand in the context of the implementation of the idea of co-governance, one of the most important components of the concept of a digital state. The article is focused on the identification of the most widespread and successfully functioning digital practices for increasing citizen participation in decision-making at the local level using the example of Western countries. The article reveals the essence of the municipal aspect of co-governance by analyzing institutions such as civic initiative, organized meetings and hearings, a referendum, as well as cooperation practices aimed at improving the quality of governance and initiated by government authorities.