"Governance and Political System" Thematic Research Series
When formulating policies and measures, public consultation and listening to the opinions of the community can help promote public understanding and discussion of relevant policy issues, maintain openness and transparency in governance, and build consensus so that policies can be more widely recognized. This is an important element in maintaining good governance. Hong Kong has a long history of conducting public consultations on policies.
This study mainly explores the views and participation of young people in Hong Kong on public consultation, including their reception of information, submission of opinions on consultation, and perceptions of effectiveness, and comprehensively analyzes the shortcomings of the current SAR government's public consultation operation. As well as the obstacles faced by young people, we hope to provide feasible suggestions on promoting young people's participation in public consultations.
This study collects relevant information through a random sampling of youth opinion surveys in Hong Kong, youth case interviews, and interviews with scholars and experts. The Hong Kong Youth Opinion Survey was conducted in December 2015, successfully interviewing 520 young people aged 18 – 34; the youth case interviews were conducted from November to December 2015, and a total of 20 young people were interviewed; the interviews with scholars and experts were conducted in December 2015 It was conducted from September to January 2016, and a total of 4 scholars and experts were interviewed.
Main results of the study
- The young people interviewed believe that consultation is most important in absorbing public opinion and responding to demands, but they have a poor impression of the SAR government's performance in listening to public opinion.
- The young people interviewed believe that searching for information on consultation content on the official website is complicated and time-consuming, and they also believe that the information provided by the government is difficult to understand. The biggest obstacle faced by young people is a lack of understanding of the issues.
- The young people interviewed believe that the use of information technology can help them express their opinions on policy consultations, but their evaluation of the SAR government's performance in using information technology for consultations is also average.
- The young people interviewed valued transparency, equal participation and interactive communication in the consultation process. Insufficient transparency and lack of communication and discussion affect young people's perception of the effectiveness of consultation.
Research main recommendations
- Comprehensive review of current public consultation operations
- Establish a "one-stop" public consultation website
- Develop bottom-up channels for public opinion expression
