Explanation of Indicator
Public participation in the policy-making process is important for several reasons. Public participation reinforces the democratic ideals of our country, legitimizes the roles of government and decision-makers, and eases implementation by creating a sense of ownership over policy. Public participation also creates the opportunity for two-way education: decision-makers educate the public and the public educates decision-makers. Each of these reasons serves to emphasize the importance of creating and fostering opportunities for the public to attend meetings and make their voices heard.
Coastal policy-makers can take advantage of the benefits outlined above as long as an atmosphere of open public participation exists. If public participation in coastal policy issues is lacking, however, it is likely that coastal initiatives will suffer from lack of support and difficulty of implementation. Changes in the level of participation by the public should be followed by appropriate government actions. Signs that participation is decreasing should be followed by vigorous attempts to mobilize the public by informing them why their participation is important and desired and by providing additional opportunities for the public to interact with policy-makers. Signs that participation is rising should be reinforced by legitimization of the public’s input and the continued support of existing participation programs.
Data Characteristics
SOURCE
There is currently no source of data for this information.
ACQUISITION
Not applicable.
COLLECTION
Not applicable
Recommendations
Currently there is no information available for this indicator. An annual survey of Florida residents could be developed to obtain data on public participation. The Florida Coastal Management Program (FCMP) should develop the Florida Coastal Issue Survey to elicit responses from Florida residents concerning this issue. A survey can gauge the general public’s opinions, attitudes, and knowledge about coastal issues. The FCMP should conduct an annual telephone survey of Florida’s adult population (ages 18 and over) to elicit responses concerning a variety of coastal management issues. The selection of the telephone numbers should be based on a two stage random digit dialing stratified by coastal and non-coastal county designation. The two stage process ensures a more random sample of residential households; the stratification ensures that the designated coastal and non-coastal counties will have an appropriate proportion of the sample. There should be two sections to the survey: the first section should request general demographic information about the respondent and the household (age, sex, income, # in household, zip code area, etc.); the second section should contain questions about coastal issues.
The survey should contain a question asking the respondent how many times they have participated in the decision-making process for coastal policy issues in the past year.
Sample question: How many government public hearings, meetings, or other forms of participation (i.e., letter writing, phone calls, community panels, etc.) that deal with policies directly related to Florida’s coast have you been involved in during the past year?
Summary of the responses would show the average attendance per person. These figures could be converted to a statewide total, and yearly data collection would enable the FCMP to determine trends in public participation.