We the Citizens : Citizen Participation to Address Poverty

Abstract

Democracy means the rule and voice of the people. The Clear Vision Eau Claire (CVEC) Poverty Summit was meant to offer community members a mechanism of inclusion in the democratic process. From October 2016 to April 2017, community members gathered and deliberated on how to best solve the issue of poverty in the area; 13.1% of Eau Claire residents live below the poverty line (U.S. Census Bureau, 2016). This Poverty Summit was meant to include all types of community members in identifying and creating solutions related to reducing poverty. Our participation in the Summit was meant to investigate participants’ perception of the Clear Vision Eau Claire democratic process and demographics of participants over time. Was the CVEC Poverty Summit successful at including diverse voices throughout the entire process?