Abstract
Statement of Purpose. The purpose of the study was to conduct a process evaluation of Los Angeles County's citizen participation plan to determine the effectiveness of the plan design in terms of its ability to likely lead to a meaningful citizen participation process. Theoretical Framework. This study relied on theories of democracy, which provide the premises for the need for citizen participation, and theories of bureaucracy that provide the foundation for the understanding of governmental engagement of citizens. Furthermore, theories of citizen participation provide the different mechanisms available to engage citizens. Methodology. Using a qualitative nonexperimental design (single case study), the author reviewed publicly available information from the 2011 Public Access Plan. Secondary data were retrieved from Los Angeles County's redistricting website to evaluate the design of the plan and to compare it with relevant literature's guidelines to increase citizen participation. Findings. The findings revealed the following about the county's citizen participation plan: first, the purposes were identified to embody the ideals of democratic participation and inclusion, social justice, and open access to information; second, the underlying theory of the plan was grounded on the notions of inclusiveness and involvement; third, the design of the plan was not likely to increase public participation, despite the inclusion of citizens in the creation and submission of redistricting maps (decision making) processes; and fourth, the plan exceeded the legal mandate. The main hypothesis was not supported; although public administrators failed to engage citizens in the administrative decision making, they genuinely involved them in the redistricting process. The assessment of the County of Los Angeles Public Participation Plan elements revealed a gap between citizen participation practice and theory. Conclusions and Recommendations. The procedural ineffectiveness of the Public Access Plan was linked to the lack of meaningful participation in decision making by citizens in the redistricting process. Decision making in administrative processes is largely shaped by legal mandates and political will, not so much by public administrators. It is recommended that public administrators advocate for a greater engagement role for citizens in legal mandates. Future research needs to test the external validity of this study through meta-analysis of empirical data or other methods that provide wider applicability.