Community Development & Local Democracy (Cleveland)

Co-PIs (Drs. Ashley Nickels, with Zachary Wood (Seattle University) and Kirk Leach (University of Arkansas-Little Rock))

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between local community development systems and local democracy. With this multi-site research project, we explore how local democracy is contingent on the history of local community development systems. We ask: As local community development systems have changed, how has power shifted? What are the implications for local democracy?

This analysis explores, in-depth, the local and contextual politics, policies and cultural histories that govern the community development system in each case city. Examination at the city/system level allows for the within-case analysis of the structural nature of community development systems and the unequal distributions of power and access to democratic decision-making that can manifest.

This project is supported by Kent State University Research Council and is approved by Kent State University IRB [KSU IRB: 21-216, exempt].