Citizen involvement is considered the cornerstone of democratic theory and practice. Citizens today have the knowledge and ability to participate more fully in the political, technical, and administrative decisions that affect them. On the other hand, direct citizen participation is often viewed with skepticism, even wariness. Many argue that citizens do not have the time, preparation, or interest to be directly involved in public affairs, and suggest instead that representative democracy, or indirect citizen participation, is the most effective form of government. Some of the very best writings on this key topic - which is at the root of the entire "reinventing government" movement - can be found in the journals that ASPA publishes or sponsors. In this collection Nancy Roberts has brought together the emerging classics on the ongoing debate over citizen involvement. Her detailed introductory essay and section openers frame the key issues, provide historical context, and fill in any gaps not directly covered by the articles. More than just an anthology, "The Age of Direct Citizen Participation" provides a unique and useful framework for understanding this important subject. It is an ideal resource for any Public Administration course involving citizen engagement and performance management.

This volume examines social influences on violent events and violent behavior, particularly concentrating on how the risks of violent criminal offending and victimization are influenced by communities, social situations, and individuals; the role of spouses and intimates; the differences in violence levels between males and females; and the roles of psychoactive substances in violent events.

This title was first published in 2000: Mainstream criminology has devoted little attention to minority perspectives in crime and violence. Criminologists who have examined minority perspectives have addressed the issue in a cursory manner, providing only brief summaries of the propositions of the perspective. This book provides a comprehensive examination of one minority perspective on crime: the colonial model. Specifically, the book discusses how the colonial model applies to African and Hispanic Americans and what the perspective adds to mainstream theorizing. It further discusses the limitations of the perspective, revises the perspective to improve theoretical validity and subjects the revised perspective to empirical validation. Preliminary findings suggest that the colonial model is more effective in explaining African American delinquency.

This prize-winning reference work provides data on crime in 110 nations and 44 major cities, making it possible for the first time to examine the patterns and causes of violent crime on a cross-national basis. "In this important book, Archer and Gartner take a major step toward providing and utilizing international data on crime and violence.... They have assembled the best cross-cultural database on criminal violence that has ever been compiled." -Michael L. Radelet, Contemporary Sociology "[The authors'] data and superior analyses make their conclusions more compelling than earlier studies with like or contrary results. Furthermore, the data set seems rich enough to yield similarly enlightening findings for other researchers." -Roy L. Austin, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science "Some highly significant data... [including] whether large cities have higher homicide rates than smaller cities; the deterrent effect of the death penalty on homicide rates; the etiology of urban violence." -Choice "An amazing analysis of a most wonderful series of data. Rarely has social science been blessed by the richness of material over so much time and over so much space as are represented by this volume." -Marvin E. Wolfgang, University of Pennsylvania