by identifying some of the problems that have
accompanied the growth of citizen advocacy in
politics and administration. Examination of
emerging trends suggests that public officials must
cease to accept uncritically each new instance of
citizen participation and every new effort to
extend its operation and impact into additional
areas of the political and administrative system.
Administrators must begin to inquire into the
form, style, and objectives of public participation,
as well as the conditions under which it can
function most effectively. Finally, administrators
should recognize the limits of the device as a
means of providing solutions to highly complex
D. Stephen Cupps is associate professor and director of
the MPA Program at the West Virginia College of
Graduate Studies. He has taught at Princeton and the
University of California, Santa Cruz, and has served as a
consultant to organizations such as the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, Union Carbide
Corporation, and various state and local governmental
agencies. He is currently at work on a book dealing with
the role of public interest groups and citizen organizations
in administrativae ffairs