| This project explores theoretical questions, relating to public deliberation and citizen participation, through the lens of a public forum managing an environmental cleanup in New Bedford, Massachusetts. With membership distributed among three sets of political actors--federal and state environmental officials, local elected officials and leaders of citizens groups--the forum rests upon two sweeping and debatable propositions in political science: (1) It is possible for representatives of a political community to identify the public's interests and agree on specific policies to pursue as a result. (2) Sustained and intense involvement from a limited number of everyday citizens can aid the formidable task of identifying and selecting various measures to fulfill the public's interests. The thesis also argues that principles of reason and inclusion feed into successful public deliberation, and the case study illustrates how reason and inclusion have both emerged and fallen short on the forum. |
