Support for active citizenship and public service performance: an empirical analysis of English local authorities

Government efforts to increase civic engagement are predicated, in part, on the belief that this will lead to better public services. This assumption is tested by analysing the impact of different approaches to supporting active citizenship in English local authorities on their recorded service performance in 2005. Performance and support for active citizenship are modelled using data drawn from a national survey and secondary sources. The results suggest that councils which aim to promote understanding of citizenship among the public are more likely to have higher service performance, but that those which aim to increase citizen engagement in local governance are associated with lower performance in deprived areas.