If you’ve taken the IAP2 Foundations course from us, you’ve heard us say (until you’re maybe tired of hearing us say it) that effective, authentic public participation is about making better, sustainable, powerful decisions. Public involvement isn’t just a nice, feel-good thing to do to placate the unruly masses; it’s fundamental to democracy, engaging the governed in their own governance to co-produce lasting decisions. None of us make the best decisions on whims. Whether it’s highly intentional or not, we probably base decisions on some kind of criteria.