Residents are experts on their neighborhoods, but their voices often go unheard in local decision making. Professor Tia Gaynor discusses initiatives that bridge the gap between local governments and citizens – and explains how some have fallen short.

For More on This Topic:

• Read her article for the PA Times on the Los Angeles Fire Department
• Check out her brief, The Unmet Challenge of Fighting Racially Discriminatory Practices in Local U.S. Law Enforcement Agencies

Further Reading:

• Episode 16: Local Agents of Democracy
• Varieties of Civic Engagement in Contemporary America, Paul Lichterman, University of Southern California
• How Emergency Managers and Community Organizations Can Cooperate to Handle Disasters, Scott E. Robinson, University of Oklahoma