DEMOCRACY IN OUR BACKYARDS: A Study of Community Involvement in Administrative Decision Making

摘要

Although community involvement in administrative decision making is a growing phenomenon, it has received little attention in the political behavior literature. In this study, the author uses an area of environmental decision making to better understand the expanded opportunities for citizen action. The motivations and resources that influence other forms of political participation are expected to be of influence here as well. The analyses suggest that resources and motivations do matter, with the relationship between poverty and involvement being the most interesting result. Poorer communities were found to be more likely to mobilize than were their better off counterparts. Suggestions are made to explain this result combined with a discussion of other key factors.