Thomas C. Beierle is a fellow at Resources for the Future. His research on public involvement in environmental decisionmaking has appeared in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Policy Studies Review, Environment and Planning, Society and Natural Resources, and Environmental Law Reporter. Jerry Cayford is a research associate at Resources for the Future. A philosopher by training, he studies public participation and risk perception, and the issues raised by patents on biotechnology.

'This is an important book because the authors demonstrate both that scholars can measure social goals and that the methodology of metaanalysis case studies can provide significant insights into how public participation influences environmental decisions . . . the analysis is transparent, nuanced and sophisticated. The writing is clear and accessible to nonspecialists. This seminal work will interest both scholars and practitioners.' Choice 'Good social science about an important topic, presented in a highly readable manner. Scholars, whether young or not so, should take a look at this book to see how it can be done.' Perspectives on Politics

• Executive Summary 1. Introduction 2. Conceptual Framework and Methodology 3. The Social Goals of Public Participation 4. The Context of Public Participation 5. The Process of Public Participation 6. Public Participation and Implementation 7. Designing Public Participation Processes 8. Conclusions and Areas for Further Research Appendix A: Case Survey Methodology Appendix B: Details on Data and Aggregation Appendix C: Technical Analysis Appendix D: Examination of Potential Bias Appendix E: Citations for Cases in the Final Data Set References Index

Thomas C. Beierle is a fellow at Resources for the Future. His research on public involvement in environmental decisionmaking has appeared in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Policy Studies Review, Environment and Planning, Society and Natural Resources, and Environmental Law Reporter. Jerry Cayford is a research associate at Resources for the Future. A philosopher by training, he studies public participation and risk perception, and the issues raised by patents on biotechnology.

'This is an important book because the authors demonstrate both that scholars can measure social goals and that the methodology of metaanalysis case studies can provide significant insights into how public participation influences environmental decisions . . . the analysis is transparent, nuanced and sophisticated. The writing is clear and accessible to nonspecialists. This seminal work will interest both scholars and practitioners.' Choice 'Good social science about an important topic, presented in a highly readable manner. Scholars, whether young or not so, should take a look at this book to see how it can be done.' Perspectives on Politics

• Executive Summary 1. Introduction 2. Conceptual Framework and Methodology 3. The Social Goals of Public Participation 4. The Context of Public Participation 5. The Process of Public Participation 6. Public Participation and Implementation 7. Designing Public Participation Processes 8. Conclusions and Areas for Further Research Appendix A: Case Survey Methodology Appendix B: Details on Data and Aggregation Appendix C: Technical Analysis Appendix D: Examination of Potential Bias Appendix E: Citations for Cases in the Final Data Set References Index