ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book explores citizen participation in government resource allocation decisions. The book discusses some of the innovative ideas and methods designed to involve citizens meaningfully in decision-making processes. It looks at the budget-balancing exercise completed by a representative sample of voters in Eugene, Oregon. The book considers a question of general relevance to much related government survey work: Does information matter to citizen decision makers when they are deciding how much they are willing to support a service? It finds that it matters enormously and that support erodes even in the presence of nominal costs. The book shows the distinction between individually versus collectively consumed services and between the good citizen and the private citizen. Citizen participation projects that employ rigorous methodologies with representativeness, realistic constraints, and deliberation are best poised to activate the citizen voice in this way.
