Selected Publications and Working Papers
Jeffrey M. Berry, American Politics, Political Behavior
Kent E. Portney, Quantitative Methods, Public Policy,
Political Behavior
Ken Thomson, Director of the Center for Strong
Democracy in Cambridge, MA
The Rebirth of Urban Democracy
 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
|
