Involving Citizens in the Decisions of Government and Community: Neighborhood-Based Vs. Government-Based Citizen Engagement

Abstract

The era of the global economy brings societal challenges that demand systems solutions to the concerns of community, including citizen engagement and coproduction. Survey research involving more than 1,800 citizens from a Midwestern urban community is used to help local government understand citizens' views of the merits of two very different approaches to citizen engagement. One approach uses organizations that are extensions of the arms of government to promote efficient communication between citizens and government. The second approach employs grassroots neighborhood-based organizations that are assumed to be advantaged at encouraging coproduction. Neighborhood-based organizations were found to be the people's choice for purposes of communication and bringing citizens together for collective solutions to the concerns of the community.