Legal and operational aspects of citizen participation in federal, state, and local governments are examined and recommendations are made. Following an introduction to the study, chapter 2 reviews the role of citizen participation in democratic theory and examines how participation developed within the general society and the governmental system. Chapter 3 discusses the forms and purposes of citizen participation at the different levels of the American government. Describing illustrative programs, chapter 4 looks at citizen participation requirements in federal aid programs. Chapter 5 surveys the provisions for citizen participation in state and local governments. A summary and recommendations are made in chapter 6. To overcome the substantial gap that was found to exist between the expectations and realities of citizens regarding participation, it is recommended that governments at all levels provide sufficient authority, responsibility, resources, commitment, and leadership for effective citizen participation in their own directly administered activities, including financial decision making and the elective political process. (RM)