Government Is Us

While skepticism about government is an enduring feature of North American political culture, today's climate of anti-government sentiment has grown aggressive and even violent. This volume, made up of a community of prominent voices in public administration theory and practice, examines the current anti-government climate and its effect on the working lives of administrators and their relationships with citizens. It documents the sources of citizen discontent with government; explores its effects upon career civil servants' ability to do their work; and attempts to understand the implications for public administration practice in an anti-government area.

PART ONE: THE ANTI-GOVERNMENT CONTEXTIntroduction - Cheryl Simrell King and Camilla M Stivers The Anti-Government EraCitizenship and its Discontents - Camilla M Stivers, Cheryl Simrell King, and Renee Nank The Political and Economic ContextGovernment Isn¿t Us - Ralph Hummel and Camilla M Stivers The Possibility of Democratic Knowledge in Representative GovernmentCitizens and Administrators - Cheryl Simrell King and Camilla M Stivers Roles and RelationshipsPART TWO: STRATEGIES FOR COLLABORATIONIntroduction - Cheryl Simrell King and Camilla M Stivers Strategies for CollaborationOvercoming Administrative Barriers to Citizen Participation - Mary M Timney Citizens as Partners, Not AdversariesAt the Nexus of State and Civil Society - Lisa A Zanetti The Transformative Practice of Public AdministrationThe EPA Seeks Its Voice and Role with Citizens - Walter W Kovalick Jr and Margaret M Kelly Evolutionary EngagementWe Want Your Input - Dolores Foley Dilemmas of Citizen ParticipationWorking with Citizens - Richard C Box and Deborah A Sagen Breaking Down Barriers to Citizen Self-GovernanceTargeted Community Initiative - Joseph E Gray and Linda W Chapin `Putting Citizens First!¿Conclusion - Cheryl Simrell King and Camilla M Stivers Strategies for an Anti-Government Era