ABSTRACT
The past five years have seen a significant expansion of rural and agricultural leadership development programs offered by university and private sector partnerships. These programs provide a valuable opportunity for understanding, as well as increasing effective participation of citizens in public affairs. Available data and selected literature were examined in order to identify key questions to guide future research and practice in community leadership development. Questions pertaining to (1) the ways programs influence individual and societal participation in public affairs, (2) institutional advocacy in public affairs education and (3) the design of rural and agricultural leadership programs are proposed. Community development practitioners and researchers are urged to examine the expanding base of leadership development programs in order to strengthen the vital practice of community and public affairs leadership development.
