In the most recent issue of ICMA’s PM magazine, Matt Leighninger shares his observations about why transparency and information – though vital elements of engagement – do not themselves constitute public engagement:

The central problem in most democracies is not a lack of information. The main challenge is that citizen expectations and capacities have undergone a sea change in the past 20 years, and our public institutions have not yet adjusted to the shift.

Because of rising levels of education, increased access to the Internet, and different attitudes toward authority, 21st-century citizens are better able to disrupt policymaking processes and better able to find the information, allies, and resources they need to make an impact on issues they care about. . .

You can continue reading Leighninger’s op-ed here.