A silent majority?

Some community residents will remain on the sidelines or continue to complain about poor land use decisions but will take no action. If you can discover the reasons they choose not to be involved, you may be able to recruit them and their skills in support of better land use policies and decisions.

Reasons for a silent majority

• Some citizens feel they are represented by an active individual or group.

Discuss the need for every vote on critical issues and how simple weight of numbers can be influential.

• Some citizens are unaware that a project/policy will affect them.

Inform them about project or policy impacts on their lives.

• Some citizens are aware of consequences but have decided that an issue is a low priority for them.

Identify a smaller supportive role for these citizens (e.g. sign a petition, make three phone calls, contribute to funding, etc.).

• Some citizens do not believe that they can make a difference.

Lead by example and persistence to show how effective citizen participation in government can be.