Basic sanitation actions must comply with the participatory democratic principle,
which in turn is summarized as the effectiveness of popular participation in the
decision-making process of the public power that deal with the implementation of
these public policies. This study aimed to identify popular participation mechanisms
appropriate to issues related to basic sanitation, including citizen legitimacy for filing
popular action in case of omission by public authorities and proposing informal
solutions for popular participation through simplified access to decision making.
decisions. For that, a research was carried out contemplating two stages and with
different areas of coverage, the first stage of the study being conducted without the
use of territorial delimitation, targeting citizens from all over the country and the
second part of the study directed to a Brazilian municipality with low sanitation index.
Interviews were made up of 2 sections, the first dealing with the analysis of
demographic variables of the interviewees and the second directed to the degree of
involvement with public power and monitoring of public policies on basic sanitation.
The research covered topics related to sanitation, social participation and
effectiveness of public power; citizen participation in public events; exercise of the
right to participate in the implementation of Public Basic Sanitation Policies;
possibility and interest as a citizen to contribute with the public power in decision-
making on basic sanitation; ease or difficulty of dialoguing with the government;
existence of campaigns to prevent diseases resulting from lack of basic sanitation; if
public hearings or other public acts are instruments that facilitate the citizen's
dialogue with the public power and enable social control; whether public hearings
and other public acts could be replaced by informal and less bureaucratic means
(smartphone applications, questionnaires and electronic forms); the causes of non-
participation of citizens with public authorities in public policies on basic sanitation;
public managers' interest in solving basic sanitation problems in the short term;
government efficiency and omission in the implementation of public basic sanitation
policies; and knowledge about the filing of lawsuits with the aim of obliging the
government to take measures to improve basic sanitation services if its omission is
proven. The results pointed to a lack of sanitation in Area 2, with a large number of
respondents stating that they had never participated in government acts; also pointed
out that, in addition to participation being a right, the will expressed by the citizen
should be taken into account by the public authorities, but citizens have limitations on
the right to participate in government decision-making, which is why there must be
effective means that enable public participation in the debate on public policies on
basic sanitation, especially considering the various informal, quick and electronic
means capable of bringing citizens closer to public power, helping them in decision-
making. Finally, it is concluded that popular participation is precarious, especially
when it comes to public hearings within the scope of basic sanitation actions due to
the lack of disclosure, distrust in the effectiveness of these hearings, lack of
knowledge and discredit in the performance of the public power, reflecting that the
absence of popular participation generates an imbalance between the popular will
and the decisions of the authorities, since public hearings are not binding and,
although citizens are willing to participate, they find obstacles in the means offered by
the public Power.
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