How Representative Are Mandated Citizen Participation Processes?

Abstract

Legally mandated citizen participation processes constitute a significant new element of urban politics. However, few attempts have been made to determine whether such partici pation is representative of the needs and demands of the public. A method for assessing the "representativeness" of alternative methods of public representation is demonstrated. Findings suggest that neither the citizen participants in mandated processes nor the tradi tionally recruited political elite consistently reflect the average view of the public, and neither is consistently closer to the public in its preferences.