"Citizen participation is a device whereby public officials induce nonpublic individuals to act in a way the officials desire"
- Daniel Patrick Moynihan
About this Quote
This quote by Daniel Patrick Moynihan suggests that public authorities use resident participation as a tool to affect nonpublic people to act in a manner that is advantageous to the authorities. This indicates that public authorities are utilizing people to advance their own programs, rather than permitting residents to have a say in the decision-making process. This could be seen as a form of manipulation, as public authorities are using people to achieve their own goals. It also suggests that public authorities are not taking into consideration the opinions of citizens, and are instead utilizing them as a way to an end. This could be viewed as a form of power imbalance, as public authorities are using their positions of authority to affect people. Eventually, this quote suggests that public officials are utilizing citizen participation as a tool to further their own interests, rather than allowing people to have a say in the decision-making procedure.
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