The Next Form of Democracy

by Leighninger, Matt; Bradley, Bill

• ISBN13: 9780826515414
• ISBN10: 082651541X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-12-31
• Publisher: Vanderbilt Univ Pr

Summary

Beneath the national radar, the relationship between citizens and government is undergoing a dramatic shift. More than ever before, citizens are educated, skeptical, and capable of bringing the decision-making process to a sudden halt. Public officials and other leaders are tired of confrontation and desperate for resources. In order to address persistent challenges like education, race relations, crime prevention, land use planning, and economic development, communities have been forced to find new ways for people and public servants to work together.The stories of civic experiments in this book can show us the realpolitik of deliberative democracy, and illustrate how the evolution of democracy is already reshaping politics.

Author Biography

Matt Leighninger is Director, Democracy Workshop, and Senior Associate, Study Circles Resource Center.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Foreword	xiii
Introduction: Things Your Mayor Never Told You: The Recent Transformation of Local Democracy	1	(22)
Section 1---The State of Democracy	23	(46)
Good Citizens and Persistent Public Problems	25	(19)
Is Everything Up to Date in Kansas City? Why ``Citizen Involvement'' May Soon Be Obsolete	44	(25)
Section 2---Appeals to Citizenship	69	(80)
Of Pigs and People: Sprawl, Gentrification, and the Future of Regions	71	(22)
The Increasing Significance of Race in Public Life	93	(24)
Washington Goes to Mr. Smith: The Changing Role of Citizens in Policy Development	117	(32)
Section 3---Building Shared Governance	149	(75)
The Strange Career of Chuck Ridley: Drug Abuse, Community Organizing, and ``Government by Nonprofits''	151	(21)
``Marrying'' Schools and Communities: Endless Love or Affair to Remember?	172	(23)
Sharing the Buck: Communities Rethink Public Finances and Public Responsibilities	195	(29)
Conclusion---Things to Come	224	(27)
Notes	251	(30)
Index	281