 Professor
Kent
E. Portney - Quantitative Methods, Public Policy, Political Behavior
Research & Publications
 The Rebirth of Urban Democracy
Kent E. Portney, Jeffrey M. Berry, and Ken Thomson
Synopsis:
 In an era when government seems remote and difficult to approach,
participatory democracy may seem hopelessly romantic notion. Yet
nothing is more crucial to the future of American democracy than to
develop some way of spurring greater citizen participation. In this
important book, Jeffrey Berry, Kent Portney, and Ken Thompson examine
cities that have created systems of neighborhood government and
incorporated citizens in public policymaking. Through careful research
and analysis, the authors find that neighborhood-based participation
is the key to revitalizing American democracy.
The Rebirth of Urban Democracy provides a thorough examination of five
cities with strong citizen participation programs- Birmingham, Dayton,
Portland, St. Paul, and San Antonio. In each city, the authors explore
whether neighborhood associations encourage more people to
participate; whether these associations are able to promote policy
responsiveness on the part of local governments; and whether
participation in these associations increase the capacity of people to
take part in government. Finally, the authors outline the steps that
can be taken to increase political participation in urban America.
Berry, Portney and Thomson show that citizens in participatory
programs are able to get their issues on the public agenda and develop
a stronger sense of community, greater trust in government officials,
and more confidence in the political system. From a rigorous
evaluation of surveys and interviews with thousands of citizens and
policymakers, the authors also find that central governments in these
cities are highly responsive to their neighborhoods and that less
conflict exists among citizens and policymakers.
The authors assert that these programs can provide a blueprint for
major reform in cities across the country. They outline the components
for successful participation programs and offer recommendations for
those who want to get involved. They demonstrate that participation
systems can influence citizens to become more knowledgeable, more
productive, and more confident in government with a mechanism for
being more responsive in setting priorities and formulating policies
that closely approximate the true preferences of the people.
Jeffrey M. Berry is John Richard Skuse Class of 1941 professor of political science at Tufts
University. Kent E. Portney is professor of political
science at Tufts University. Ken Thomson is director of the Center for
Strong Democracy in Cambridge, MA. Thomson previously served as
director of citizen participation
programs at the Lincoln Filene Center for Citizenship and Public
Affairs at Tufts.
The Brookings
Institution
ISBN: 0-8157-0928-5 cloth 0-8157-0927-7
paper
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