Public participation is essential to a functioning democracy, as rule by the people presumes that citizens will take some responsibility for a properly functioning society. This article reports on a 2006 survey of citizen participation in appointed public volunteer boards, a widely used but rarely studied mechanism for citizen involvement in local government administration. The survey, which covered a 10-county area surrounding Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, revealed that 75% of municipalities use appointed volunteer boards as part of their governance structure. Our findings that management capacity affects board use, that empty seats often go unfilled, that board members usually get no training or orientation, and that few boards reflect the diversity of local communities suggest that this mechanism for citizen involvement must be improved and better understood to benefit local leaders and their communities.
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