抄録
The role of citizens in developing environmental policy in the case of the Chitose Drainage Canal Plan was studied through a survey in Sapporo, Japan. An attempt was made to determine why many people demand citizen participation in social decision making, even though they have no direct involvement with the issue. The results showed that citizens were considered a neutral agent, while the Hokkaido government, which behaved as mediator, was not considered neutral. Citizens might be expected to monitor the fairness of the decision process from the point of view of a "third party." The role of experts, who were evaluated to be specialized and fair, was also discussed.
