Includes bibliographical references (p. [333]-357) and index.

Introduction -- Democracy and public problems -- Managing urban growth : the problem and its civics -- Rethinking the American West : a civic intermediary and the movement for "quality growth" in Utah -- The grassroots-to-grasstops dynamic : slum redevelopment and accountability in Mumbai -- The civics of economic restructuring -- The hyper-organized region : leading the next "new economy" in Pittsburgh -- Progressive regionalism and entrepreneurial government : democratization and competitive restructuring in the greater ABC, Brazil -- Leading change in child and youth well-being -- From the ballot box to better results : cross-sector accountability in the San Francisco children's movement -- Rights, conflict, and civic capacity : meeting the needs of poor children and families in postapartheid Cape Town -- Conclusion.