Dear POL 180 students,
Tomorrow we will explore normative theories related to how to better understand, and advance, more inclusive public participation in and wider agendas in policy studies. The Cairney 1000 word pieces are pretty straightforward. The article Arnstein, “A Ladder of Citizen Participation” is distinct and merits a quick explanation. This article was written back in 1969 and is now a classic. It is not perfect, and others have challenged, refined, and revised it over the decades, but it is a very useful, accessible model explaining different levels of citizen engagement, empowerment, and ownership over policy making and public policy. It will be the basis for a class discussion built around questions like -- under what circumstances is citizen empowerment in policies affecting them advisable, or essential? how much citizen engagement and ownership is right, and for which issues? Who decides which citizens may represent the rest? This is always an interesting topic to discuss, but especially so given that we live in an era of populism. Come to class with ideas to share! This will be a mainly discussion-based session.
Ken