Rarely have citizens been as sceptical of politics and state institutions as they are today. Many people think politicians in particular are capable of doing anything& and they don=t trust them an inch. They regard the state as being in the hands of corporate lobbyists and elites, and believe their own interests are never taken into account. At the same time, there have probably never been so many opportunities available for people to participate in political processes. In Getting a Hearing, contributors from academia and practical work explore the causes of this contradictory development and describe the forms of participation available, ranging from local authorities to the level of the European Union. Do these serve only as a fig leaf to back up political and bureaucratic activity, or do they create genuine participation and thus open up opportunities to close the gap between citizens and the state, at least to some extent?

Thomas Hauser was formerly editor of the Badische Zeitung and is the author of several books. Prof. Daniela Winkler teaches public law at the University of Stuttgart.