ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses recent innovations in civic engagement that impinge most directly on administration, hence the title, 'Citizen-Driven Administration'. It develops an argument that the most important new forms of citizen involvement have occurred at the local level. The United States was founded with two minds with respect to the role of the citizenry in governance. The perspective that gained dominance initially was that advanced by the Federalists and embodied in the US Constitution. The chapter describes the historical context within which contemporary approaches to civic engagement in governance can be understood. A sea change in approaches to civic engagement emerged about twenty years ago and launched what remains the major innovation through institutional reform at the local level. The chapter concludes with recommendations for moving forward with the next step in civic engagement development by linking local governance with state and federal government agencies.
