Designing good governance: Democratic network reform in Los Angeles

Abstract

During the latter half of the 20 century, urban America can be said to have pursued two distinct approaches to governance reform. In many cities, officials adopted efficiency–oriented reforms: contracting out of services; privatized urban development and service provision; performance management; and other administrative reforms commonly associated with the new public management movement. During the same general time frame, the emergence of democratically oriented reforms sought to engage city residents and other urban stakeholders in local policymaking and service oversight. The new public management reforms tend to be less politically controversial in that they largely embody efficiency values consistent with the general economic development imperative of cities (Peterson, 1981) and can be pursued behind the mantle of administration.