If poor people’s views are taken only formally in a neighbourhood meeting and ignored in decisions, what is the problem?

Correct answer: Participation is not real

Correct answer: C. Democratic participation is meaningful only when people have a genuine opportunity to express views and those views can influence discussion or decisions. Merely allowing poor residents to speak, while deciding beforehand to ignore them, creates token participation. It gives the appearance of inclusion without real power or respect. Option C correctly identifies this gap between formal participation and effective participation. Option A is not a problem: local meetings can be useful democratic spaces. Option B does not prove that participation is absent; a large meeting can still listen fairly. Option D is also irrelevant because writing down a decision does not make the process democratic or undemocratic. The key test is whether affected people are heard seriously and whether their concerns receive consideration. Memory cue: presence is not participation; participation requires voice, attention and some real influence.