Conference Contribution Details
Mandatory Fields
McInerney, Chris
PIDOP (Processes Influencing Democratic Ownership and Participation) Conference
The role of public administration in civic engagement
Surrey
International Refereed Conference
2012
()
Optional Fields
16-APR-12
17-APR-12
Despite voluminous analysis, ambitious statements and lofty ideals, experiences of civic engagement and participation have frequently been disappointing or at best confined to smaller, more localised practice.  Much of the analysis of such experiences focuses on the operation and mechanics of engagement processes but often ignores crucial underlying elements such as the central role of public administration as a primary facilitator of citizen participation.  This paper proposes that for civic engagement processes to reach their aim of sustained citizen integration into the democratic process, the mediating realm of public administration needs to be more fully analysed and interrogated.  To do this, it suggests that a deeper analysis of three core elements - democratic values, public administration responsiveness and social justice disposition – need to be take place.  The paper presents an outline of a model that enables such an analysis to be undertaken, allowing both for an examination of existing practice as well as predicting the prospects for success of civic engagement proposals.
University of Limerick