Home » Articles
Share |

Articles in "Research"

Terrible Public Engagement: the Three (or 7) D's

Don’t try to understand their context, or think about how successful engagement here will differ from what worked somewhere else.  One size fits all is easiest, right?  Until it blows up in your face.  

Civic Engagement in the Digital Age

Chris Haller

Surprising new trends in civic engagement have been brought to light, thanks to the Pew Internet and American Life Project’s report, “Civic Engagement in the Digital Age.”

The Lens of Choice

Chris Haller

Remember the 1% rule? In Internet culture, the 1% rule reflects a hypothesis that more people will lurk in a virtual community than will participate. Those looking to engage online communities will be happy to know that this rule is a thing of the past.

Design Action Research for Government (DARG)

Chris Haller

Have you ever felt like engagement strategies tend to involve a lot of bean counting, where the quantity of people participating is regarded as more important than the quality of participation created? Boston’s DARG projectis seeking to change this with the help of design-based research and a framework for conceptualizing and evaluating networked civic engagement.

Indiana Civic Health Index Examines How Actively Citizens Engage in Their Communities

Chris Haller

When citizens aren’t engaged, voter turnout and civic health in general can be at an all time low. Has your state or city been assessed to determine what must be done to improve people’s civic knowledge and skills? Recently, the Indiana Civic Health Index (INCHI) showed the state’s 2010 voter turnout rate was just 39%, putting Indiana at 48th in the nation.

Survey Explores Effectiveness of Local Governments using Social Media to Promote Transparency

Chris Haller

More local governments now have a “face” thanks to social media. Once citizens connect with a humanized local government, are there any risks or barriers to this engagement? Is social media proving to be the most effective vehicle to engage with hard to reach segments of the population? In Australia, one of the most urbanized countries, an interesting case study presents itself. 

Can Digital Media Truly Offer Better Opportunities for Deliberative Decision Making?

Nicole Davis

When citizens deliberate they are working toward realizing their disagreements based on differing experiences, recognize trade-offs, and make informed choices based on those realizations. More and more online deliberative forums, online town halls, and other tools are developed each year, but can they meet our expectations for democratic practice?

APA Poll Indicates Citizens’ Desire to Be Involved in Planning Process

Chris Haller

A recent poll conducted by the American Planning Association (APA) indicates that community planning is widely supported by the public in our country. There seems to be a nearly universal feeling that "things work better with a plan". In fact, two-thirds of American citizens believe their community needs more planning that many want to be more personally involved with community planning efforts, whether they live in a city, a suburb, a small town, or rural America.

The Relationship Between Government Funding for Cultural Activities and Public Engagement

Nicole Davis

It is often through art and cultural activities that community members find an outlet for expression, preserve their past, and enrich their future. Recently, a link has been found between levels of direct government funding for culture and levels of public engagement in culture.

NCoC Research: Millenials Emerge as Top Users of the Internet to Participate in Everyday Civic Life

Chris Haller

These days it seems that a continuous stream of initiatives are established to foster civic engagement across the country. But is the general sentiment toward participating in civic life one of apathy, or is the discussion of politics and the participation in organized community activities steadily rising?