Cornfield Malls, Downtown Redevelopment, and Democratic Performance

Abstract

Nine proposals to develop enclosed shopping malls, either in the outskirts of Lawrence, Kansas, or in its downtown, are evaluated according to three democratic ideals:

Responsible Representation: Did the policymaking process empower (primarily) elected representatives and (secondly) the voting public while also being responsive to the persuasive participation of public administrators, community notables, group leaders, and individual activists?

Complex Equality: Were the outcomes most responsive to those interests in the community that normally fail to have their preferences reflected in policy? Or were there legitimate explanations for continued unresponsiveness to normally subordinate interests?

Principle-Policy Congruence: Were the outcomes con­sistent with the broad policy principles that are dominant in the community's political culture, such as the goals of promoting economic growth, protecting the downtown, and facilitating widespread citizen partici­pation?