Unlike Egypt, the US does have free elections, but is that enough? Is our government really listening to its citizens? How much more listening does our government need to do and how important is it?

In order for government to function well it should listen to its citizens between elections. Involving the public helps prevent angry demonstrations and produces better decisions. A few of our governmental institutions understand this, but many do not.

Public participation needs become an acknowledged part of the function of government. It is an important and valuable way to keep our citizens, businesses and organizations supporting the democracy that is the foundation of the US.

Citizens need to expect their government to be open to their comments and concerns – to hear what they are saying.

Are you tired of reaching solutions that are under attack before they are even implemented?

 Would you like to feel more comfortable about long-term support for your project? 

Making decisions by involving everyone who has an interest may seem difficult and time consuming but there are tremendous advantages.

• Getting fresh ideas and creative approaches
• Possible influence of decision makers to provide money and resources
• Positive word of mouth publicity
• Less opposition at the end of the project

Citizen/Stakeholder involvement can be a win/win for everyone.

How you structure the process, however, makes all the difference.

Involvement can be a win/win but it needs to be done right to work well. If you involve people but then pay no attention to what they said, you will likely be in a worse position than before. Does that mean you have to do everything participants say? No, but the process needs to be structured so everyone understands how their input will used.

This website gives you a few tips to get started. If you would like to learn more about how to involve your community, we will soon be publishing a guide book with all the details to help you succeed.

In addition, we are writing a story to show what public participation can actually do. To get an e-mail notice when these two books are available, please sign up below.