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10 - Youth Policy Advocacy in Municipal Governance

from Part II - Participatory Governance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 April 2024

By
Astraea Augsberger  and
Mary Elizabeth Collins
Edited by
Brian D. Christens
Brian D. Christens
Affiliation:
Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
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Summary

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the scholarly literature on youth engagement in policy advocacy in the context of municipal youth councils. First, the organizational structure, membership, and activities of youth councils are presented. Then, the prevalence and trends of youth councils in the US and internationally are discussed. A case exemplar of the Boston Mayor’s Youth Council and its youth-led participatory budgeting process is presented to illuminate key principles and practices of municipal youth councils, including the benefits and barriers of youth engagement on youth and communities. Then, the literature pertaining to power and empowerment processes in youth policy advocacy is reviewed, including key features of youth councils that can facilitate or impede psychological empowerment and community power. The chapter concludes with a review of implications for practitioners, leaders, policymakers, funders, and other stakeholders, as well as areas for future research.

Keywords

youth engagementyouth councilsmunicipal governancepolicy advocacyparticipatory budgeting
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Community Empowerment , pp. 262 - 286
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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