Trust and Involvement

[Will Focht <wfocht@okstate.edu>]

The type of public involvement that is most appropriate in environmental decision-making depends, at least in part, upon the willingness of the public to defer to the judgment (competence and discretion) of others to manage risks on the public's behalf.  Trust of officials (government and experts) determines the role of officials (whether the public prefers to defer to officials or to be vigilant and represent its own interests);  vigilance will require more substantive participation (e.g., power sharing).  Trust of other members of the public (i.e., public concordance versus controversy over a preferred outcome) determines whether the public prefers low intensity or high intensity involvement strategies.  The overlap of these trust contexts, and therefore deference strategies, determines the type of involvement strategy that is most appropriate.  A discussion of this framework is being prepared for a forthcoming book on stakeholder participation in watershed management.