Civic Capacities Research Articles

The Consequences of Public Policy for Democratic Citizenship: Bridging Policy Studies and Mass Politics

Democracies, and the citizenries that stand at their center, are not natural phenomena; they are made and sustained through politics. Government policies can play a crucial role in this process, shaping the things publics believe and want, the ways citizens view themselves and others, and how they understand and act toward the political system. Yet, while political scientists have said a great deal about how publics influence policies, they know far less about the ways policies influence publics. In this article, we seek to clarify how policies, once enacted, are likely to affect political thought and action in the citizenry. Such effects are hard to locate within the standard framework of approaches to mass behavior, and they are generally ignored by program evaluators and policy analysts. To bridge this gap, we direct attention toward a long and vibrant, but underappreciated, line of inquiry we call the “political tradition” of mass behavior research. Drawing this tradition together with recent work on “policy feedback,” we outline a framework for thinking about how policies influence mass politics. The major types of such effects include defining membership; forging political cohesion and group divisions; building or undermining civic capacities; framing policy agendas, problems, and evaluations; and structuring, stimulating, and stalling political participation.

Reconsidering the Connection between Capacity and Governance

High levels of sub-national policy experimentation and public cynicism about politics and government, combined with significant challenges and opportunities for governance capacity such as regionalism, globalization, and technological change call for a reconsideration of the state of capacity and the capacity of the state. Crucial questions surrounding this re-assessment include: What is the difference between government and governance? Who governs in theory and in reality? How does governance now work? Can governance and capacity keep pace with change? Reconsideration of these and related questions yields the conclusion that governance and capacity are intimately connected and that innovative, simultaneous blending of public management and civic capacities is needed to build trust and govern effectively under new and challenging conditions.

Public participation and organizational change in Wisconsin land use management

This article explores the issues that arise when land use management organizations change their previous ways of relating to the public. I introduce an analytic framework for evaluating organizational changes that are grounded in participatory planning and decision making. Using a case study of a recent planning initiative of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, I examine dynamics of trust, civic capacities, personal demands, history of working relationships, and interest in the issue at hand. Though preliminary, the conclusions drawn from this research illustrate how these dynamics may influence the success of participatory planning that reflects organizational change.

Exploring the Elements of Civic Capital

AbstractWhat makes the difference between a community that turns the corner on difficult challenges and one that does not? Civic capital, the collective civic capacities of a community, is the currency supporting collaborative strategies that pursue innovative programs and forge new relationships to build a future with better results for children and families.

Building new arenas for civic renewal: Smaller American cities

Home to some 40 million Americans, smaller and medium-size cities contribute an important dimension to the economic, social and cultural life of the nation and its regions. Sharing many characteristics with large cities — including the range of urban ills — smaller cities may possess some unique civic capacities to hasten their renewal. Moreover, their experiences may hold lessons for our largest urban centers.

Varieties of Activism in Three Western Democracies

A cross-cultural comparison of the characteristics of activists and initiators in three modes of action indicates that civic attitudes, group mobilization, and capacities are more important than dissatisfaction and values as backgrounds of activism. Although the three modes of direct action tend to be applied in different situations, they also have much in common. Instead of distinguishing unconventional from conventional participation, one might speak of varieties of activism.