Activate the Democratic, Problem-Solving Potential of Citizens

Public Participation for 21st Century Democracy takes a detailed look at the fascinating past, frustrating present, and promising future of public participation. Covering both theory and practice, the book describes how engagement happens—and how it could happen more effectively—in the context of education, health, land use, and state and federal policymaking. The discussion strips away the false assumptions about citizenship and explores what people really want out of public life: problem solving, civility, and community. The book describes the many tools for productive participation, from the proven meeting formats to the latest apps, and discusses ways to embed them in how governance works.

• Track the evolution of public participation in the U.S.
• Discover how participation is crucial to our health, schools, and economy
• Learn how to match participation tactics to specific scenarios
• Understand the need for stronger participation infrastructure, and how to build it

Public Participation for 21st Century Democracy is a unique and important resource for anyone interested in creating smarter, fairer, stronger forms of democracy.