A new survey is offering the people of Cumbria a chance to have their say on the strength of local democracy and the quality of services in the county.
The survey is being run by the Cumbria Local Democracy Commission and coincides with Local Democracy Week.
The Commission was set up by Cumbria County Council as an independent body to help the council to engage better with the community.
More than 600 residents have already been polled by telephone and now the survey is available online to anyone else who wants to have a say.
Questions cover a range of topics from healthcare and social services, schools, shops and leisure facilities to local engagement in the democratic process at all levels.
Professor Phil Thomas, who led the county council's independent Foot and Mouth Inquiry in 2001, is chairman of the five member Cumbria Democracy Commission.
He said: "At each stage the committee has been at pains to establish a sound evidence base on which to reach our conclusions. We are keen to hear the views of as many residents as possible as we focus on democracy in Cumbria and how best to provide effective and efficient decision making and implementation of policy for the benefit of the people."
Tim Stoddard, leader of Cumbria County Council, said: "The initial findings from the hundreds people we have already surveyed make very interesting reading indeed and we look forward to the Commission's full report later this year. In the meantime I would encourage anyone who is interested in local democracy and in local services to visit the Commission's website and take part in the survey.
"It is an independent survey which asks some bold, searching questions. The findings will be of great use to the county and will, I think, be looked at with great interest on the national stage too."
To complete the questionnaire visit www.cumbriademocracy.org.uk