Importance of Civic Engagement - Essay Example

How useful are notions of ‘civic engagement’ and ‘community’ in the development and practice of contemporary public policy? Civic engagement Civic engagement can be elaborated as the Individual and collective actions of societies which have been designed to assess and identify the issues which are relevant to public concern. From the perspective of public policy, civic engagement has certain very crucial elements. However, in its most concrete sense, civic engagement focuses on the concept of decision making, local governance the allocation of resources to the general public. Principle of civic engagement underlines the essential principle of democratic governance and also states that sovereignty must belong to the citizens. In its literal sense, civic engagement is the basic right given to the citizens to utilize public resources, participate in determination of the policies which will help them in seeking for the betterment of the society and helps in reforming or replacing institutions which are unable to perform effectively and efficiently. Civic engagement is integrated with having an essential relationship with the concept of public policy due to its focus on elaboration of state and governmental policies (Reuben, 2003). It interlinks all the values, skills, ideas, beliefs, concepts and attitudes which a population holds within a state and helps in the potential formation of broad cultural, social, and economic identities within a state. It is a fact that within a democratic society, citizens form the core representation of a democratic society. Application of civic engagement and community can only be found within programs which can help in implementation of various essential areas of a state’s consistent development. Communal Collaboration Social and community collaboration involves democratic roles where individuals of various interests and ambitions can act together for discussing their concern about various issues and can help them in giving them a chance for making changes to things which they deem to be crucial. Such moves can prove to be a source of inspirations and thought provoking ideas which include neighborhood associations, school, colleges and universities where citizens can find relevant information for their community and also create a place where they can feel their voices are being heard and they can be given an opportunity for providing their own input regarding crucial governmental decisions which are of utmost interest of the public. Engagement in public discussions that is able to clarify necessities as well as certain changes which need to be made on a regular basis. Political involvement is another vey key issue which may need to be addressed and should be discussed regularity. Such acts can help in making certain very important changes in a community. Such engagement and collaborations provide citizens the opportunity for being involved with their local government and by allowing them to raise their concerns for themselves. The advent of internet has allowed people to bring a revolution in this regard and new features such as online voting and public discussion can give citizens the opportunity for raising their opinions as well as solutions for potential problems. Civic engagement and community based initiatives do help in addressing crucial issues of social equality, political and legal freedom, innovation and liberty and they based on the innate capabilities of humans and the societies we live in. However, there are certain limitations implicit in this approach. Sung (2004) states that fact of defining and elaborating civic engagement may require various alternative measures due to its unconventional subjective matter and the inherent complications associated with it such as defining the quantitative and qualitative measures of a liberal civil society. Role of Public Policy in civic engagement According to Tanzi (2000), public policy can be defined as a framework which requires a flawless method of verification and evaluation of domestic procedures for adequate functioning of this domestic system. Public problems which are affiliated with public policy are cultural, economical, social as well as political in nature. In the discipline of public policy making, various individuals, social and cultural groups often try to compete or form a strategic alliance to persuade potential policymakers for acting in a specific way. The individuals who often use such tactics and strategies include politicians, lobbyists, corporate giants and industrialists and they use their influence and power in their attempt to educate potential followers on a specific issue. The thorough evaluation of the inherent values of public policies would certainly help in analyzing the vividness provided by contemporary scholars and researchers in the field of public policy and political science and can articulate the fact that how the public values are constructed and reformed in this framework (Uslaner & Brown, 2005). There is certainly a direct relation with civic engagement and public policy. There has been a substantial growth and development on the importance of quality of government within the developed as well as the underdeveloped world and this concept is not limited to financial and economic development of a country. /The development in civic engagement has moved the core concept away from certain economic and social variables which include financial capital, domestic resources and various other tangible and intangible matters which are directly related with the notion of government. This also raises a very important fact that it is may not be the inadequacy of domestic resources which can prove to be an obstacle for economic development of a country but level of the quality of government and the implementation of its local laws and public policy does play a pivotal role for the prosperity of the country. The core influx of civic engagement lies in the fact that how it is able to help in formation of public-policy. This does elaborate the fact that the administrative officials of a country are not allowed to make decisions which are against the interests of the general public and which can create consequences at a mass level. However, this does not mean that leaders and politicians within a state should guarantee in the implementation of certain opinions which are offered for civic engagement but it certainly does mean that it can help in formalization of results which can be considered in the future development of a state. A process through which the procedures of public policy process within a state can be manipulated is by deliberately presenting biased or irrelevant information. Most public policy issues within a state have multiple considerations for a fact. They have to be presented in a manner which can guide the public in an efficient manner. According to Robeyns (2005), Citizens within a country can only make correct decisions if they are provided with relevant and authentic information and it forms the crux of a successful public policy. The concept of civic engagement is based on core concept of the significance of impartiality and indiscrimination and emphasizes the on governmental power. In relation to utilization of public power, when executing domestic procedures and policies, government officials should never take things into reflection which is not according to the law. One of the key traits of civic engagement is in treating people with impartiality and irrespective of their personal reputation and prestige. It is related to all crucial domestic decisions and social evils like bribery, corruption, political or family connections, caste, creed etc are eliminated in this regard and only factors which are relevant to decision making are taken into account by the bureaucracy. In relation with public policy, the logical concept which is related with the concept of civic engagement is the approach of the civilians as well as the government and how they are able to utilize their power for the implementation of public policy. It also coincides in line with the long standing argument that domestic growth is not affected directly by public policies if the core aspect of public institutions has been taken directly into consideration. Civic engagement and quality of life The concept of civic engagement focuses on importance of the capability of individuals in being able to achieve the quality of life required for consistent success and happiness. This approach is traditional civic theories which merely emphasize on subjective happiness and materiality. This approach emphasizes on human development and capability approach emphasizes on intangible human resources that include having good health, education and on the importance of having healthy and life-long relationships with other humans which can add meaning to life. This concept is integrated with designing of public policy of a country because it does consider the fact that collective human prosperity is highly essential for economic progress. Along with political and economical stability, well-being of citizens are highly essential for having a successful public policy. Civic engagement and civil society With regard to civic engagement, civil society has a much broader perspective specifically in relation to domestic households and government. The core concept of formation of a civil society is that governments and civilians with a country try to support and build mutual alliances with the concerned authorities who can help in eradication of social evils which include poverty, injustice, corruption etc as well as promoting the core concept of human rights which includes economic, social, civil and political rights of individuals. This essay does prove the fact that real progress for a society is tackling important development tasks which could only be possible through building social institutions that are able to exhibit an adequate level of governance and security for ensuring genuine and righteous motive within a society. This can enable civil society for participating for the concept of social governance which is highly important for peace and social solidarity because they are one of the core objectives of any society (Zakaria, 2003). Civic engagement can allow people to recognize their basic rights and opportunities within the society. This may also lead to a decrease in social bias and prejudice. Civic engagement and social collaboration makes people socially flexible and more flexible towards better and improved economic opportunities which include employment, health, housing and education opportunities. From a domestic perspective, healthy civic engagement can increase economic growth within a society and can also help in increasing the social stability within a country. Local governments could create regulatory frameworks which are able to promote the importance of civic engagement and community building. This will help in ensuring that groups which are socially excluded will be able to benefit from government expansion plans and it may ensure social and civil protection for individuals. Social and communal plans can also help in increasing access for social services as well as in promotion of participation of citizens at a political level. Social Accountability The concept of social accountability aims in improving the collective standards of individuals and communities within a region or state. Form a wider perspective, social accountability does play an extremely crucial role in the efficient running and formation of societies at a grand scale. The concept of social accountability elaborates the fact that citizens as well as the government is held accountable for their activities and are also open to any potential challenge which is directly linked to their core objective. According to Kohli (2004), social accountability can be defined as a form of self-regulation which can be interlinked as a role model for a society. Integration of Social accountability and civil society There is certainly a very important link between the crucial concepts of social accountability and civil society. By presenting crucial information and data within the general public sphere as well as by generating healthy debates between the public is a highly crucial element of formation of a successful mode of social accountability and although indirectly, it does relate with civic engagement in some aspects. Crucial factors such as budget details, analysis of public investment, financial audits etc can have a high level of significance and create a significant impact when they are made accessible to the general public does create a high level of impulsion for them (Mulgan, 2000). For this reason, effective communication between the general public and the government are extremely essential components of social accountability and they also form the core motive of civic engagement (Keefer, 2004). Integrating the concept of social accountability and civic engagement will help in examining moral and ethical principles and in minimizing all immoral and unethical activities which can arise during operation activities. Various strategies and approaches for Civic engagement Social scientists and researchers on public policy have designed various theories and strategies to elaborate the concept of civic engagement. Some of them are as follows: Co-operative approach: Government’s officials may seek for co-opting some or even all of their interests for the attempt in controlling the civil society by their relationships of affinity and kinship. Proactive engagement: Governments and civilians may seek for mobilizing all or possibly the chunk of each and every organized interest to build the political and legal consensus. This strategy will help in creating a mode of citizenship and engagement for public interest. It can also help in surpassing all the boundaries for independence and mobility. Civic mobilization through nationalistic appeals Governments and civilians can employ various tactical approaches and strategies for creating as well as limiting the different ways and strategies for creation and interaction with various organized expressions for their people. An ideal civil society can implement its own strategy and tactical plan for redefining their relation along with the state and possibly with other political parties, business communities as well as institutions. Confrontation strategy: Many civilians view civil societies, made by government agencies, as the core obstacle in achieving their social objectives. This strategy may give way for social as well as political unrest and could well narrow the freedom for civilians. Civic Engagement and the role of Government It is a fact that civic engagement has a direct relation with various state and governmental entity. The values, knowledge, information, liberty, skills, traits, ideas, attitudes as well as beliefs of the people with regard to civic engagement can shape a society for vast cultural, social, and economic identities in formation of a robust society. The importance of civic engagement being applied within a state is not attainable without the idea of mutual collaboration of individuals as well as the government (Shah, 1998). The core concept of a democratic and independent society is that citizens are given the source to live their life in a representative and liberal democracy. Application of such principle can only be found in programs and bylaws which states have been able to implement on a variety of areas concerns and for a specific state. Crucial concepts such as health, education, social equality are concepts which integrated with civic engagement in a state. Critical success factors of civic engagement For most of the time period in human evolution, the idea of civic engagement has gained great prominence over the last few years. The evolution of this concept over the past few years has not been consistent (Costa & Kahn, 2003). In a broader context, the measures taken by various citizen groups for promoting civic engagement at a bigger level for particular situations have been limited. However, civic engagement has been considerably successful in the modern era and there have been some success factors which have helped in the popularity of the concept over the last few years. Some of them are as follows: Political nature The tools for measures civic engagement within a society are dependant largely upon the political structure and culture of a society. The potential of success for civic engagement initiatives are dependent on the political regime within a democratic and liberal social system which can guarantee basic political, social and civil rights to the citizens. The presence of such crucial factors as well as the potential risks associated with it may well prove to be decisive in the long run. However, certain other factors such as legal, socio-cultural and political factors have also been highly important and significantly influential for the growth and popularity such initiatives. Right to information For a liberal and democratic society, consistent access and availability to public documents is highly essential for building wider access to success of civic engagement and community building. Such activities are the core factors for success and prosperity of a state. Due to this reason, initial efforts for civic engagement have more often focused upon guaranteeing liberty and freedom for the citizens. State capacity The long term success for civic engagement efforts depend on the efficiency as well as effectiveness of a state. Civic engagement will certainly be useless if the discipline and security reforms within the state have collapsed or if there is a form of anarchy within the state. A functioning and highly agile public administration system which has the ability for responding to the demands of their citizens is highly essential. State capacity and advocacy is a highly important element which represents a democratic and liberal state which can provide security to its citizens. Government and civilian synergy The success of civic engagement depends heavily on effective and consistent interaction between the civilians the government within a country. Productive outcomes can only be achieved if all the citizens, civil servants, political members, ministers and bureaucrats may have an incentive for working on this motive. Such mutual collaboration may directly depend on the mutual agreement, trust or even a compromise which could lead to effective and efficient synergies of civilians and society. Conclusion The study does provide a very important aspect of civic engagement and also provides a vivid framework for evaluating and analyzing the complex scenario of social governance and also gives some very important conclusions. Due to the considerable growth of social democracy and liberalism in the past few years, civic engagement and community based initiatives have gained huge prominence because the focus of such procedures has been on the analytics of good governance and efficient public administration. Not only that but civic engagement can be highly influential in reflecting upon the core areas of governmental transparency and for the improvement of global economy to a certain extent. It is evident that civic engagement efforts made on part of civilians and governments can help in serving and creating highly effective and influential mechanisms of accountability which can further strengthen an economy. Thus, such measures result in better political governance, an efficient and successful service delivery concept and highly developed level of effectiveness. References Costa, D. L., & Kahn, M. E. 2003, Civic engagement and community heterogeneity: An economists perspective. Perspective on Politics, 1(01), 103-111. Keefer, Philip. 2004. A Review of the Political Economy of Governance: From Property Rights to Voice: World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 3315. Kohli, Atul. 2004. State-Directed Development: Political Power and Industrialization in the Global Periphery. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Mulgan, Richard 2000. ‘Accountability’: An Ever-Expanding Concept? Discussion Paper No. 72., Graduate Program in Public Policy, Australian National University Mulgan, Richard and John Uhr 2000. Accountability and Governance, Technical Report Discussion Paper no.71, Graduate Program in Public Policy, Australian National University. Norris, P. 2001. Digital divide: Civic engagement, information poverty, and the Internet worldwide. Cambridge University Press. Reuben, William 2003. The Role of Civic Engagement an Social Accountability in the Governance Equation. World Bank, Social Development Note No. 71. Robeyns, I., 2005b. The Capability Approach: a theoretical survey. Journal of Human Development, 6(1), 93-117. Sung, Hung-En. 2004. Democracy and Political Corruption: A Cross-national Comparison. Crime, Law & Social Change 41: 179-194. Shah, D. V. 1998. Civic Engagement, Interpersonal Trust, and Television Use: An Individual‐Level Assessment of Social Capital. Political Psychology, 19(3), 469-496. Tanzi, Vito. 2000. Policies, Institutions and the Dark Side of Economics. Northampton: Edward Elgar. Zakaria, Fareed. 2003. The future of freedom: illiberal democracy at home and abroad. New York: W. W. Norton & Co. Uslaner, E. M., & Brown, M. 2005. Inequality, trust, and civic engagement. American politics research, 33(6), 868-894. Read More