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Western University

2003

Policymaking

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Full-Text Articles in Public Administration

How Are We To Govern Ourselves?: The Engagement Of Citizens In The Local Government Policy Process, Ron Coristine Aug 2003

How Are We To Govern Ourselves?: The Engagement Of Citizens In The Local Government Policy Process, Ron Coristine

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the effectiveness of citizen engagement as a complementary process to the representative nature of local democracy based on case studies of two policy issues that used different methods of citizen participation in Kincardine, Ontario. Interviews with the mayor and seven of eight councillors in the municipality were conducted. The findings reveal that the traditional method of top-down consultation processes is inferior to deliberative approaches and interactive forms of engagement can achieve more satisfactory outcomes.