Participation can be thought of as “the inclusion of a wide range of stakeholder contributions in an ongoing community development process, from the identification of problem areas to the “development, implementation and management of strategic planning”. (Schafft and Greenwood, 2003, p. 19). In a true democracy, there is no doubt that voices will be raised against the ideas of public participation. In recent years, some visible features related to public participation have increased and there has been an increase in the decision-making process in which citizens are involved. Public participation in the political process, to truly implement the principles of public process democracy, must aim to be rational and fair to achieve efficiency. Public participation eliminates doubt that citizens' offers will affect the political process. It is assumed that a person who will be affected by a decision has the right to be involved in the decision-making. “Sound democratic processes are those that use the diversity of a community or society to deepen common understanding and produce long-term results. benefit the entire community or society. Any public participation does not meet this objective. Public participation can either enhance or degrade the collective intelligence and wisdom involved in democratic processes such as collective decision-making, solving social problems, and creating shared visions. The principles below offer some guidance for designing sound democratic processes.” Tom Atlee, Co-Intelligence Institute This paper will begin by highlighting aspects of citizen participation by showing the advantages and disadvantages it has on the political process and discuss how citizen participation in policy making pro ...... middle of document .... ..entition on specific issues”. Bowen (2004), in his article also mentioned, "public hearings" are similar to an actual forum in which the public "can make formal statements on the issue in question." Oral statements are often based on short, written arguments; “A panel representing the sponsoring agency may ask questions of the presenter. The panel typically submits a final report containing findings and recommendations. “This document, while defining and highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of public participation in the political process, has provided appropriate means to increase citizen participation in Jamaica. Public participation in a democratic society is vital. The diversity of individuals' perspectives will lead to increased public input in support of effective policies. It increases democracy and aims to achieve and maintain good governance..