Democratic Governance

Local officials are finding new ways to work with citizens. In communities across the country, they are mobilizing people to make decisions, overcome conflicts, and solve critical public problems. They are pioneering a concept called democratic governance: the art of governing communities in participatory, deliberative, collaborative ways.

• When your constituents are angry about a particular issue, does it seem impossible to make everyone happy?
• When people fail to turn out for public meetings, do you wonder why? (Are they satisfied? Or disgusted? Or apathetic?)
• Do people have unrealistic expectations about what local government can do, given limited resources?
• Is it hard to get different kinds of people, different organizations, and different sectors to work together?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you aren’t alone. In many ways, being a local official is more difficult than ever before: citizens are increasingly capable, skeptical, and impatient, while officials are becoming tired of confrontation and desperate for collaborative, productive work.

What is Democratic Governance?

Democratic Governance efforts are those that:
- Proactively reach out to and involve large and diverse numbers of people;
- Use good process techniques to create environments where people can be heard, learn from each other, and plan together;
- Present a range of views or policy options for people to examine; and
- Lead to change on several fronts, from policy decisions to collaborative public-private efforts to individual volunteerism (i.e. not just putting the burden on government).

The CityFutures Panel on Democratic Governance

The purpose of NLC’s work on democratic governance is to help local officials respond to these challenges. Drawing on case studies of successful projects, the City Futures Panel on Democratic Governance has explored ways to educate, involve, and mobilize citizens in a variety of events and initiatives. The Panel’s research and written materials describe how communities have used democratic governance approaches to address key issues such as:

• Planning and development;
• Race, diversity, and equity;
• Crime and public safety;
• Education and school improvement; and
• Public finance.

The stories of these efforts illustrate both the potential of democratic governance and the larger challenges and implications. This work illustrates some changing assumptions about the role of local officials.

Resources

"Working Productively With 21st Century Citizens" (2007) -- a Municipal Action Guide that summarizes action steps and provides examples of local practice.

Four City Practices Briefs on "governance" -- how municipal officials work with others to get things done.

"The Rise of Democratic Governance: How local leaders are reshaping politics for the 21st Century" (2004; reprinted 2006).  This resource offers a framework for understanding how local elected officials view issues and challenges they face in governing our nation's cities and towns.

"Changing the Way We Govern: Building Democratic Governance in Your Community" (2006). A detailed guidebook with narratives and case studies to apply to the work of local officials, city staff or anyone involved with engaging citizens in governance.

Powerpoint Presentation : Download this Powerpoint presentation on Democratic Governance: The Art of Civic Engagement and use it for your own presentations. 

Futures Report: "Connecting Citizens and Their Government: Civility, Responsibility and Local Democracy" (1996).  To Request a copy, call (202) 626-3030. 

Coming soon: Democracy Helpline, an online portal for information and assistance on democratic governance challenges.

2008 Activities 

• Hold workshops and seminars for local officials at the 2008 Congress of Cities and Exposition in Orlando, Florida. 
• Encourage and enable city officials to enhance democratic governance by articulating and delivering a strong, compelling message, using a variety of venues.
• Work with state municipal leagues and other networks to reach out to a broader array of local officials.
• Work with the Deliberative Democracy Consortium on the Democracy Helpline and other key services for local leaders.