This piece documents the collaboration between a team of four University of Pennsylvania students and seven youth partners from across the Greater Philadelphia area who came together to discuss, understand, and take action toward civic issues impacting their communities. As youth arrived at the Civic Engagement Summer Program, a joint Philadelphia…

Democracy has been weakened in the United Kingdom with citizens increasingly frustrated at not being able to shape government decisions in any meaningful way. State actions at the local and national level are at risk of becoming even more influenced by vested private interests. This poses a major challenge to the democratic health of the country.…

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has incorporated several allowances in its regulations pertaining to cable television. Some of these enable citizen groups and communities to intervene in the cable franchise after the final issuance in order to correct deficiencies in the franchising process and the administration of the franchise.…

Discusses use of volunteers to augment local government services such as libraries, parks, paralegal aid, elderly care, data processing. Outlines requirements of successful programs and steps toward initiating volunteer programs. Presents case studies of volunteer programs in two Maryland communities and 41 examples of how local governments can…

Directed to the local government of smaller cities, this guide discusses five techniques for valid and feasible citizen participation. In each of the five selections the author describes the technique and indicates when its use is appropriate and what both its advantages and disadvantages are. The sections are arranged in order from the least to…

The purpose of this paper is to resolve what determines the success or failure of innovations in participatory government; and, more precisely what are the dynamics of institution-building by which the ideas of participation and decentralization are implemented and enduring neighborhood institutions are established. To answer these questions, a…

Development of Scottish college councils for supervision of local authority further education (postsecondary) colleges is examined, with a survey of schemes produced by Scottish education authorities. The councils are compared with earlier boards of management. The underlying rationale of college councils is sought, revealing the primacy of…

Provides details of a mock town meeting (using the warrant prepared for the town's real town meeting) which was planned and conducted by ninth grade students. Includes a project evaluation. (PRA)

The 4-H/Community Resource Development workshop was designed to help people conducting Extension 4-H programs on sensitive and complex community issues improve their ability to create a better climate for discussion of alternatives and development of community projects. Topics of the presentations included the role of the 4-H administrator,…

This document contains 119 descriptions of K-12 educational programs in Massachusetts which commemorate the bicentennial. The programs illustrate ways in which teachers, parents, and other adult members of the community are cooperating with the students in carrying out the responsibility of good citizenship. Demonstrating how to learn more about…