The public hearings as an advisory form of democracy

Background. The relevance of the research lies in the need to improve the legal regulation of the institute of public hearings, taking into account the current trend of introducing information technologies into the activities of public authorities, as well as regional peculiarities of public hearings. The main purpose of the work is to analyze the distinctive features of public hearings as an advisory form of democracy, identify legal and organizational problems of their implementation in practice, identify areas of development and possible ways to reform the institution of public hearings. Materials and methods. The achievement of research objectives is carried out through the use of both general scientific methods and private scientific methods: formal legal and comparative legal. Results. The authors have identified the characteristic features of public hearings as an institution of consultative democracy. The conducted research made it possible to formulate proposals for improving Russian legislation concerning the form and mechanism of hearings in municipalities. Conclusions. Successful holding of public hearings implies taking into account economic, geographical, social, cultural, educational and political factors that have a significant impact on the life of the municipality. The wide potential for improving public hearings requires a comprehensive approach from the legislator, which can make this institution one of the most convenient, effective, effective forms of interaction between local governments and the population to resolve issues of local importance and become a tool for reducing social tension.