Fostering Civic Engagement in Public Administration
Civic engagement is fundamental to effective decision-making and policymaking for public administrators. It means reaching out to the public about issues of concern, from groups and organizations on down to individuals. In a democracy, communication, collaboration, and transparency between government and citizens is what leads to a prosperous and vibrant society.
What Is Civic Engagement?
Civic engagement is a concept that incorporates the activities that involve governmental entities, people, and organizations in addressing common and communal concerns for the betterment of communities and society at large.
It may involve civic participation with politics and government. These forms of civic participation include activities like voting, participating in hearings, attending focus groups and town halls, signing petitions and joining protests, serving on advisory committees, lobbying, and even running for office.
Yet civic engagement isn’t purely political. It can also include working with community charities and clubs, helping out at community gardens, participating in trash clean-up drives, or advocating for a grassroots movement and raising awareness about specific issues.
What Are Some Types of Civic Engagement?
Civic engagement can take many forms. Some of the more common ways the public interacts with government include:
Public Feedback
Giving voice to community and individual concerns by attending town halls, fielding and filling out surveys, and attending focus groups gives public administrators a fuller understanding of the issues and needs of various constituencies.
Participator Budgeting
Citizens can directly and specifically provide opinions about spending priorities and community investment needs.
Advisory Committees
Bringing together different voices and perspectives to collaborate in framing issues and solving problems is tremendously helpful to decision-makers.
Digital Engagement
Online platforms and social media are a way to reach more people faster and engender vital public dialogue.
Community Partnerships
Public-private partnerships, along with informal and ad hoc collaborations, are ways for government, private organizations, and individuals to work together in creating, implementing, and managing programs that benefit the public
Grassroots Movements
When people and organizations band together at a local level of public engagement, they can kick off bottom-up change that is often more effective than top-down efforts.
Volunteering
Contributing your time, energy, and skills to groups and public initiatives is a way to make direct and substantive change for the better for communities and individuals.
How Is Public Engagement Beneficial?
Effective public engagement leads to better government and better communities. Some of the benefits include:
- Transparency. Community members and leaders both have open access to information for a more complete understanding of the issues and resolutions.
- Inclusivity. Involving diverse voices in public engagement ensures that decision-makers include more perspectives in decision-making.
- Accountability. Governments must be responsive to the people they are meant to serve.
- Collaboration. Problems that are solved with people and groups working together lead to more enduring and effective solutions.
- Trustworthiness. When people participate and get to know decision-makers and those implementing decisions, they have higher confidence in the solutions.
- Better outcomes. Equitable, effective results are made possible with vibrant civic engagement.
Who Shapes Policy Around Civic Engagement?
Various stakeholders can influence civic engagement that encourages active participation in the community, from governmental organizations to a grassroots movement.
Outside of government, nonprofits, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and advocacy groups play roles. Education institutions contribute research, provide education, and host civic initiatives. Businesses, media, and associations may get involved through lobbying, charitable giving, and funding advocacy initiatives. Individual citizens and activists also participate.
Earning your Master of Public Administration prepares you for leadership roles inside or outside government. You’ll find openings and opportunities in business, with a variety of organizations, and within local, state, national, and even international governmental bodies.
For a career that is highly rewarding, with impacts you can see, working in public administration and promoting civic engagement can be an exciting choice.
