Active and substantive citizen participation in the management of public affairs and in the shaping of public policy remains a major challenge as part of the continuing demands for good governance. Over the years, the call for greater and heightened citizen participation in the formulation of public policy has persisted as a recurring theme in the dynamics of study and the practice of public administration. This paper reviews various ideas and the concepts entangled with the notion of citizen participation and discusses the different sectors of society involved in the shaping of public policy and in the management of public affairs. A brief discussion is provided on the concept of governance as it relates to citizen participation. Finally, different experiences in citizen engagement are identified at random as documented by scholars and practitioners in both developed and developing societies