ABSTRACT
Contemporary wisdom contends that "public involvement" in planning, policy formation, and decision-making is an unqualified virtue. Some elements of the public are not satisfied with setting policy; they want to make operational decisions. They not only want to set the course, but also want to fly the airplane. Even when public input is adequately received and understood, the manager may be left without meaningful guidance. The public is not infrequently unrealistic wanting more service at lower cost. Public involvement is primarily useful in dealing with strategic matters. The public is both customer and boss, and the manager who ignores the public does so at great peril. Public involvement is less relevant to tactical decisions. Dependence on public input for tactical decisions can frequently lead to delays, inefficiencies, and indefensible decisions. A subordinate rule is that voluntary public input must always be accepted with grace and appreciation; but public involvement does not have to be actively solicited for all decisions.
