Description
Leighninger (executive director, Deliberative Democracy Consortium) argues that a generational shift heralding the next stage in the development of the American political system in which citizens demand much more day-to-day involvement in the crafting of government policy. He looks at how theses demands first arose through community organizing in response to issues of race relations and urban sprawl and gentrification and describes the institutional structures that have been created at in order to accommodate citizen pressure concerning issues of drugs, education, and public finances. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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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.
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