ABSTRACT
Public participation is advocated to reduce citizen cynicism toward government, build stakeholder consensus in government, and enhance administrative decision making (Creighton, 1981; King & Stivers, 1998; Langton, 1978a; Sanoff, 2000). Participation theories have been presented and examined in research. Case descriptions or stories in individual governmental agencies are often used to support theoretical assertions. Empirical evidence is needed about participation in government as a whole. Studies involving larger samples of governments can generate more holistic and systematic evidence.
