essay exam responses are to be double-spaced. You should use a 12-point font and standard margins and word and line spacing for the entire essay exam.

Except as noted below, citations are required only for assigned course readings that you wish to formally reference in your mid-term essay exam. You must use in-text citations only and not footnotes or end of paper references. Use the Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide “author-date” style for in-text citations. Information about the “author–date” system is provided in class on the Mid-Term Essay Exam assignment day; and you can also find descriptions of this system online through multiple sources. Your author-date citations must include only author last name (or names) and the publication year. Here is your textbook as an example: (Nabatchi and Leighninger 2015). Do not include page numbers in your citations. For an organizational author, or in a publication by an organization where an individual author cannot be identified, here is an example: (Institute for Local Government 2012). If you cannot determine a publication date, then substitute “n.d.” for the date in the citation. For example: (Stanford University, n.d.).

To reference an in-class PowerPoint or an oral presentation by your professor or a guest speaker in class, simply use, as appropriate, either: (“Class PowerPoint”) or (“Class presentation”). No date or other information is required. You should NOT create a separate References page with bibliographic information for the Mid-term exam.

Question One: Based on assigned course readings and class presentations, explain a few of the reasons for the current interest in, and the emerging practices of, more direct, participatory, and deliberative public engagement by local governments and their communities in the United States.

Question Two: To develop and support their public engagement strategies, plans and practices, many local governments have identified or created principles (or points of guidance) that direct their efforts to design authentic public engagement strategies that will effectively engage residents in local public decision-making and actions. Based on assigned readings and/or in-class presentations: name two or three of these principles; explain what they mean; and describe how you believe they can help guide and support the more effective and inclusive design of public engagement activities and strategies.

Question Three: As reviewed in class and/or documented in course reading assignments, there has been survey and focus group research done both nationally and in California, identifying the public engagement-related views and practices of local officials. Based on this research, briefly identify what you believe are two or three of the most important findings found in these reports; and explain what you think are the significance of these findings for local municipal public engagement practices.

Question Four: As described in course readings and presentations, Participatory Budgeting (PB) is one strategy and model to involve the public in local municipal budgeting that is used by cities and other municipalities and organizations in the United States and elsewhere. Very briefly describe the typical purposes and fundamental steps/activities of participatory budgeting (generally), in the U.S. and then explain in what ways PB is often different in its design elements from many other engagement processes that are used by U.S. local governments to involve the public in budgeting or other planning processes.

Question Five: Based on assigned readings and weblinks, and/or on in-class presentations or PowerPoints by your professor or a guest speaker, provide, in at least three paragraphs, your own ideas about the specific purposes for which cities, towns or counties can provide online (incl. social media) public engagement opportunities for residents; name two or more online tools or platforms that may be appropriate; and identify and explain one or two public engagement planning considerations that municipalities may need to consider to make such online engagement opportunities more successful. Provide no citations for your response to this question.