Viewing the public as owners rather than customers of government, this book argues that better performance by public agencies requires active and responsible citizens as well as efficient organizations.

"What I like most about this book is that it brings historically grounded arguments to bear on the citizenship/professionalism debate that has simmered since professional management developed at the turn of the century. Citizenship is an enduring theme in the public administration, management, and political science literature. The topic is destined to remain a front burner issue given the impact of federal budget cuts on programs, entitlements, and services. The "Contract with America" requires individuals to contemplate citizenship. Some expanded citizenship duties will enable individuals to rationalize and cope with a downsized government". -- James A. Stever, University of Cincinnati

Challenging the assumptions of the "reinventing-government" movement now in vogue, this book unites a call for active citizenship with the current concern for improving public-agency performance. The author argues that citizens should not be viewed as customers of government, as reinventing-government advocates assume, but rather as government's owners. By analyzing a turn-of-the-century model of urban reform that depicts this relationship between citizens and government, Schachter shows how reinvigorating an active public is essential to increasing agency efficiency and responsiveness. She offers two strategies for moving toward active citizenship: better citizenship education, including service learning, and public agencies' provision of better-focused information for their owners.