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One size does not fit all: Matching breadth of stakeholder participation to watershed group accomplishments

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  • Tomas M. Koontz
  • Elizabeth Moore Johnson

Abstract

The role of the public in US policy making has shifted substantially during the past several decades. This shift is particularly evident in environmental policy, where collaboration among multiple stakeholders is on the rise. Much of the literature on collaborative environmental management emphasizes the need for widespread community involvement, especially from private citizens. Many proponents of collaboration have argued that broad inclusion can lead to better environmental solutions while also establishing legitimacy, building social capital, and overcoming conflicts. Yet such broad inclusion may be costly in terms of time, energy, and resources, and it may not yield the desired results. Thus, a key question is how the breadth of public involvement is linked to collaborative group accomplishments. This study, using watershed groups in Ohio, demonstrates several links between group membership and results. Groups with a broader array of participants tend to excel in watershed plan creation, identifying/prioritizing issues, and group development and maintenance. In addition, groups comprised of a relatively balanced mix of governmental and non-governmental participants are more likely to list planning/research and group development and maintenance results than are groups comprised primarily of non-governmental participants. In contrast, groups with a narrower membership and groups that are composed primarily of non-governmental participants may focus more on pressuring government for policy change.

Suggested Citation

  • Tomas M. Koontz & Elizabeth Moore Johnson, 2004. "One size does not fit all: Matching breadth of stakeholder participation to watershed group accomplishments," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 37(2), pages 185-204, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:policy:v:37:y:2004:i:2:p:185-204
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Amy Lesen, 2012. "Oil, floods, and fish: the social role of environmental scientists," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 2(3), pages 263-270, September.
    2. Babin, N. & Mullendore, N.D. & Prokopy, L.S., 2016. "Using social criteria to select watersheds for non-point source agricultural pollution abatement projects," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 327-333.
    3. Jennifer Dodge, 2014. "Civil society organizations and deliberative policy making: interpreting environmental controversies in the deliberative system," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 47(2), pages 161-185, June.
    4. Patricia Romero-Lankao & Sara Hughes & Angelica Rosas-Huerta & Roxana Borquez & Daniel M Gnatz, 2013. "Institutional Capacity for Climate Change Responses: An Examination of Construction and Pathways in Mexico City and Santiago," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 31(5), pages 785-805, October.
    5. Candace K May, 2015. "Politics of visibility: competing for legitimacy in North Carolina fisheries governance," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 33(6), pages 1484-1500, December.
    6. Jorge Gonçalves, 2022. "The Battles around Urban Governance and Active Citizenship: The Case of the Movement for the Caracol da Penha Garden," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-14, September.
    7. Ernst, Anna & Shamon, Hawal, 2020. "Public participation in the German energy transformation: Examining empirically relevant factors of participation decisions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    8. Timothy J. Downs, 2007. "A systematic integrated approach for crafting poverty reduction and sustainable development projects," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 31(1), pages 35-50, February.
    9. David Benson & Andrew Jordan & Laurence Smith, 2013. "Is Environmental Management Really More Collaborative? A Comparative Analysis of Putative ‘Paradigm Shifts’ in Europe, Australia, and the United States," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 45(7), pages 1695-1712, July.
    10. Manuel Fischer & Philip Leifeld, 2015. "Policy forums: Why do they exist and what are they used for?," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 48(3), pages 363-382, September.
    11. Beatriz Jiménez‐Parra & Daniel Alonso‐Martínez & José‐Luis Godos‐Díez, 2018. "The influence of corporate social responsibility on air pollution: Analysis of environmental regulation and eco‐innovation effects," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(6), pages 1363-1375, November.

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