Intended Date of Award
2025
Degree Name
Doctorate in Management and Public Service (DMPS)
Chair
Dr. Kristen Norman
Vice-Chair
Dr. Craig Waldron
Committee Member
Dr. Laura Hand
Second Committee Member
Dr. Elizabeth Scheel
Abstract
This study explores how public participation in governance happens at the local level in rural communities by identifying the ways public administrators in small, rural Minnesota cities understand, experience and facilitate public participation. It strives to answer the following questions 1) What do these local public administrators understand or believe about public participation? 2) How do these local public administrators experience public participation? 3) How do these local public administrators facilitate or encourage public participation? To this end, fifteen interviews with city administrators in cities ranging in population from 800 to 9000 were conducted, recorded and transcribed, then analyzed for common themes using an interpretive model based in a phenomenological approach with the goal of developing theory regarding public participation in local governance which is grounded in data. The study’s findings suggest that public participation is indeed a highly valued activity in local governance and is a part of the representational democracy model being used in these communities.
Recommended Citation
Cardarelle, Renee, "Public Participation in Local Governance of Rural Communities" (2025). School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations. 40.
https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hsb_all/40
dc_type
text
dc_publisher
DigitalCommons@Hamline
dc_format
application/pdf
dc_source
School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations
