ABSTRACT
Implicit in the word consent was a new set of responsibilities for each citizen. Involving citizens in the decisions of their local government was a difficult task when America was a small, rural society. Citizen involvement, then, refers to the process of providing all residents of a local government a full and equal opportunity to influence those government decisions that affect the quality of their lives. Citizens, individually or in groups, affect performance indirectly through their ability to influence decisions made by public officials. Most Flint citizens did not exercise their democratic right and responsibility to vote. The record of citizens’ involvement in the decision-making process at city hall was roughly equivalent to their record as voters. Prior to 1971, public officials in Flint had done little to develop mechanisms that would allow citizens a continuing opportunity to influence city government decisions.
