Citizens at the Center: A New Approach to Civic Engagement

Many Americans have turned away from politics and political institutions for the same reasons they have turned away from other civic institutions - a sense that what they do matters little when it comes to the civic life and health of their communities or the country. Shifting to an approach that puts citizens at the center can be a powerful way to help ordinary people to take action on the problems that are most important to them, and in the ways they choose.

Based on interviews with researchers and experts in service/civic engagement, politics, and marketing, this booklet offers specific recommendations for giving citizens the tools they need to identify problems and develop solutions - and warns against top-down solutions that require people to "plug into" existing programs or campaigns.