Democracy in Practice: Public Participation in Environmental Decisions. By Thomas C. Beierle and Jerry Cayford. Washington, DC: Resources for the Future Press, 2002. 160p. $50.00 cloth, $18.95 paper

Extract

Political scientists constantly debate the value of public participation in policymaking. In philosophical terms, the debate seems onesided —participation is, on balance, a good thing in a system that calls itself a democracy. In more practical terms, however, the jury is still out, probably because scholars and participants alike have long vested in public participation almost impossible hopes and dreams. Not only is it supposed to keep government honest and open; participation also is supposed to produce more informed and thus “better” decisions, and in the process build greater civic capacity, trust, and legitimacy. Given the degree to which these expectations go unfulfilled, it is small wonder that three decades later, we still ask: Does participation make a difference?