The arguments for engaging Canadians at all stages of the policy process are clear and overwhelming. Citizens demand a more meaningful role in policy development. Engagement is a powerful antidote to voter disaffection with political institutions. It means greater policy effectiveness and legitimacy, and it fosters inclusion and social cohesion.

Fostering Canadians' Role in Public Policy: A Strategy for Institutionalizing Public Involvement in Policy, by Lori Turnbull and Peter Aucoin, looks at the structural, cultural and practical barriers to making citizen engagement a natural and permanent part of our policy processes.