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  • "The process of involving people, even if they have different points of view, maybe conflicting points of view, is very important."

    Svetlana Chernikova

  • Coping With the Cost of Health Care:

    What Is The Public Voice?

    Video Podcast

  • "We can improve the conversation and that directly impacts people's lives."

    Martin Carcasson

  • DDEX

  • Ibtesam, Rhanda Slim

    Mideast Network

  • "In our research, we look at what ideas community leaders have about the role of the public in deliberating issues and forming policy."

    Alberto Olivas

  • "When I'm working with the different Pacific Island communities, I must make sure that their way of being is always respected and regarded."

    Moerangi Falaoa

  • "You can't sustain an urban community without the voice of its citizens."

    Louise Spiegel

  • "Students have more of a sense that 'maybe we can do that, too.'"

    Katy Harriger

Podcasts

  • David Mathews discusses Education Research
  • Speaking of Politics Interview

NGOs and the Citizenry

What is the proper role of specialized, highly skilled, often very technical professionals in a democracy? Nongovernmental organizations, from local and national civic groups to professional associations, play an important in democracy.

While these organizations think of themselves as being outside government and playing a mediating role on behalf of the citizenry, citizens themselves don’t necessarily share that perception. They often see these organizations as quasi-governmental, an impression perhaps heightened by the professionalization and bureaucratization of the staffs.

Explore Research in this Area


Citizen Boards: When Local Isn't Enough
Local citizen boards are meant to be a primary entryway for people to engage in politics. Yet Kettering research has found that citizens often feel as shut out from these boards as they do from the institutions of state and national government.

Publications

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