This systems theory study dealt with communication in community consensus building. Elected officials, community leaders, and a sample of citizens in three rural Wisconsin communities were interviewed about community problems. One community served as a control group; the other two communities received feedback reports based on the survey results.…

The paper examines issues in the delivery of public services in rural areas. The importance of access to urban areas in identifying differences in rural delivery problems is emphasized. It is no longer accurate to equate "rural" with agriculture and farming, drawing a distinction between those who have easy access to an urban area and those who…