1st Edition
Public Participation and Innovations in Community Governance
Comprised of a series of national case studies, this book critically examines initiatives in public participation and their relationship to developments in community governance. As such, the case studies enable national perspectives to be applied to crucial features of modern public policy and politics. Focusing on case studies in areas which are undergoing major social and institutional transformation and/or which raise particular issues because of the marginal position of the areas within their nation-states, the book also concerns itself with developments in Western European countries and why people should logically support some but not other initiatives in public participation. This book will be very useful for students and academics in areas such as politics, public administration, social policy and sociology. It should also be of interest to local activists such as councillors, members of pressure groups and those concerned about modern trends in democracy.
Biography
Peter McLaverty
’With British electoral turnouts falling, more people turning to forms of direct action, and talk of a crisis of democracy this book, charting developing patterns of participation among a wide range of polities, could hardly be more timely. Peter McLaverty provides an illuminating theoretical context in which to examine one of the key developments of contemporary politics.’ John Kingdom, Sheffield Hallam University, UK ’...the collection provides an interesting and occasionally provocative insight into the imperatives for and reactions to public participation initiatives...this is an interesting collection, which will be of relevance to politicians, professionals and community activists concerned with public participation and democracy.’ Local Government Studies '...this book is worth buying on the part of a university library, for its empirical material should be useful...the particular cases are rich and intriguing...' Public Administration