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Democratizing the Administrative State: Connecting Neighborhood Councils and City Agencies
Author(s) -
Kathi Pradeep Chandra,
Cooper Terry L.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
public administration review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.721
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1540-6210
pISSN - 0033-3352
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-6210.2005.00483.x
Subject(s) - general partnership , ethos , public administration , metropolitan area , corporate governance , state (computer science) , public participation , public relations , local government , government (linguistics) , political science , sociology , business , medicine , linguistics , philosophy , finance , pathology , algorithm , computer science , law
Citizen participation in government decision making, especially at the local level, has received heightened attention with regard to its promise for improved governance. The overarching administrative ethos of the administrative state creates barriers to citizen participation in governance. Developing and nurturing citizen participation in the presence of the administrative state is a significant challenge. Drawing on the literary tradition of public engagement and learning, this article models a developmental strategy of participation that offers one avenue for achieving meaningful partnerships between city agencies and neighborhood councils in a metropolitan environment. We present a model of citizen participation that brings neighborhood councils and city agencies together in a collaborative partnership. This model is based on the literature on citizen participation, which focuses on the significance of interactive processes in building trust among participants and creating mutual understanding and agreement.