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ABSTRACT
Citizen participation in local government has been advocated as an effective method to reduce the level of citizen distrust and to educate citizens about governmental activities. Yet there is little research on what constitutes "effective" participation. This article advances our understanding of the value of citizen participation in local government budgeting by offering three perspectives on effective participation, as articulated by those most directly involved in the process: elected officials, local government staff, and citizens. Perceptions of citizen participation were captured through a series of forty telephone interviews in four cities across North Carolina. Differences were not found across cities, but across stakeholder groups. Elected officials regard effective participation as being passive and channeled through elected officials, in the spirit of traditional representational government. Staff sees effective participation coming from educated citizen advocates. Citizens see effective participation as being interactive, in the spirit of direct democracy.
INTRODUCTION
Citizen participation in local government has been advocated as a way to enhance communication between government and citizens, build public support for local government goals, and develop public trust in government (Wang, 2001). However, research has shown increased citizen input can alternatively lead to a variety of perceived negative consequences such as increased staff work load, additional resource allocation, increased levels of public scrutiny, negative media coverage and increased levels of apathy or distrust of government (Callahan, 2002). Thus not all participation efforts are equal in terms of their impact or outcomes. In considering the nature and scope of citizen participation, it is imperative to have some basis for understanding what constitutes effectiveness.
Arguments in favor of citizen participation are rooted in normative theory, and as a result, discussions of what constitutes "effective" participation are likewise normatively-based. Yet we should be equally (if not more) concerned with how the stakeholders of participation-practitioners, elected officials, and citizens-understand effective citizen participation. This article advances our understanding of citizen participation efforts in local government by offering a multi-dimensional conceptualization of effective citizen participation as articulated by those most directly involved in the process: elected officials, local government staff, and citizens. Perceptions of citizen participation in the local government budget process were captured through a series of forty telephone interviews in four cities across North Carolina. In addition to asking...