A theory of participation for 21st century governance

Abstract

The emergence of highly vocal populist movements across the globe during 2011 has put the relationship between the public agency and the citizenry under the proverbial microscope, as a common theme among protestors is the lack of the citizen's voice in governance. This article examines the historical back-and-forth that public participation and populism have taken in the United States as well as recent trends in participation theory and research, finding that authentic participation has the greatest prospects of success at the local level. It also provides suggestions for approaches that public agencies and administrators might employ in an attempt to improve the level of both citizen input and citizen satisfaction in local governance, and proposes avenues for future research.

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