After a brief overview of responsiveness in government, this book discusses citizen participation in State and local politics and how well-intentioned reformers actually increased the insulation of State and local governments from their constituents. Sustained activity on behalf of interest groups and lobbying as the dominant mode of communication between organizational elites and legally constituted decision makers in State government are examined. A six-step model is presented that describes the normal pattern of policy making at all levels of government. Contrasting degrees of insularity of decision making in government are discussed. The policy formation process in the area of educational policy is considered, and the six-step model is applied to educational decision making. The authors attempt to challenge the notion that governmental responsiveness to the masses is either attainable or desirable. (Author)