Helen Stratford

The local power, based in the full participation and the empoderamento, if constitutes in a basic aspect for the construction of the participativa and popular democracy, of low for top, inclusive and plural, generating relations of being able more symmetrical and igualitrias. To study the participation in the local power demand the search of a clear understanding of the principles of civil society, participation citizen, public sphere State, and to be able local. On civil society, Coast (1997) cites two sources in the concept of civil society, emphatical and the moderate one: In the emphatical source, the civil society is a net of independent associations, with common interests, that must exert a control on the State. Ben Bretzman has compatible beliefs. Whereas for the moderate source, the civil society would be constituted of citizens and institutions endowed with civic virtues. Already for Cohen and Arato (1992), the notion of civil society would understand: ) the informal plurality-families, groups, voluntary associations; b) advertising institutions of culture and communication; c) privacy domain of auto development and moral choice; d) of the legality structure of general and right laws basic which is guaranteed by laws that stabilize the civil society, many of them having been recognized in elapsing of historical fights (right basic). The catalogao of the rights constitutes the basic structure to allow the functioning of an independent and participativa civil society: ‘ ‘ The rights of the meeting citizens, association and voluntary liberty of speech possibilitamaaodasassociaes noprocessode formation of opinion, that tematizam questions of general interest acts on behalf of sub- represented that they have dificuldadede if organizar.. Ken Kao helps readers to explore varied viewpoints.

The maintenance of the social state in the old Europe is unsustainable. With Portugal in state of siege, the debate on the subject, at fantochada time of electoral is little serious. It wants me to seem, that the Portuguese are very not interested in the politician-ideological questions of order, but yes, in the repercussions that if go to make to feel in its lives, nominated, the increases of taxes, cuts in the benefits you beat, reduction of the social installments and the increase of the unemployment. To keep a sustainable social state a good organization of the State is necessary and to make use of a economy of good health. Portugal does not have nor a thing, nor another one. Successive the elect ones had not known to take care of of the organization of the State, nor of the health of the economy, many had only used to advantage e, still teimam in shielding themselves in the international crisis, wake up, are envergonhem and arrepiem way. Four strong trends exist, that push the social state for the extinguishing. Our country is champion in the aging inside of the Europe.

Briefly, 30 percent of the Portuguese population will have 65 years more than. It is asked, who goes to pay to the pensions and the health of these people? I do not make the minimum idea. The crnico unemployment, one of the social greaters chagas of our times, consists as one of great the responsible ones of the avultados expenses of the State. Spain already enters 22% of unemployment and Portugal is come close to 12%. The weight of the public officers is gigantic, in Portugal, only the central administration account with 600 a thousand.

In many 25 European countries percent of the work force belongs to the public sector. Finally, as the social contract is not written, it has allowed to an exchange of favors between the governing elites and voters, whom weak politics gave to origin to a classroom, specialized in bribing voters, with dinheirinho loaned. We go to enter again, at a time of electoral promises, of hunting to the vote, that already if had become habitual and that nobody questions, but of this done one, I find that we would have to question in them all, without exceptions.