Introduction. Government programs matter: political learning, policy feedbacks, and the policy-centered approach -- The participatory impacts of county governments' means-tested and universal social programs -- City government and neighborhoods: intentional empowerment and reactionary mobilization -- Community policing: a reform policy for police responsiveness -- City government, economic development incentives, and business influence -- The impact of development incentive policy reform: a case study -- Policy-centered theory and urban programs: community effects in a global context
Summary
Employing policy feedback theory to a series of local government programs, Elaine B. Sharp shows that these programs do have consequences with respect to citizens' political participation. With this clear-eyed analysis, Sharp finds that local governments' social program activities actually dampen participation of the have-nots, while cities' development programs reinforce the political involvement of already-privileged business interests
