Civic voice and tensions with public management: A framework illustrated with examples from South Korea, Lebanon and the U.S.

This paper explores factors that may influence why and how community-based third sector organizations attempt to influence and work with public agencies. Rather than taking the perspective of government proactively acting to... [ view full abstract ]

This paper explores factors that may influence why and how community-based third sector organizations attempt to influence and work with public agencies. Rather than taking the perspective of government proactively acting to shift responsibilities for public service delivery to the third sector, this paper takes the perspective of third sector organizations as proactive not reactive actors in engagements with government on issues of public service delivery. It employs a theoretical framework drawn from the community psychology and mobilization literature to bring new insights to the public administration literature on citizen voice and co-production. After presentation of propositions using this theoretical framework, the paper offers examples from Korea, Lebanon and the United States. The framework and examples illuminate tensions in civic engagement pursuits, practices, and outcomes.