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THE ANATOMY OF DECISION-MAKING IN A LOCAL COMMUNITY: A STUDY OF KANSAS CITY
Abstract
For almost two decades a debate about power in the American local community has been going on. The discussion about whether an elite group makes most community decisions or whether in a rough sense democracy functions in the local community is no less pertinent today than it was at its inception. In fact, today, when the manifold problems of the urban crisis assault us, we are more acutely attuned than ever to local decision-making. The questions posed by classic democratic theory are increasingly urgent: how can the average citizen affect the outcome of major decisions of his local government? What is the impact of interest groups in government policy-making? In the case of what we know is the majority of people who do not participate in their local government, is there adequate representation of their interests in important decisions? To what extent does our economically-oriented society, complicated by technology, predispose us toward certain kinds of decision and away from others? Does the complexity of our society, the weight of economic power, or the need for expert leadership make it inevitable that we shall be governed by an elite?
Subject Area
Political science
Recommended Citation
WARREN, ELIZABETH ANN CURRAN, "THE ANATOMY OF DECISION-MAKING IN A LOCAL COMMUNITY: A STUDY OF KANSAS CITY" (1970). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI7103663.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI7103663