participation in public programs. Although in the total federal budget the dollars so invested are miniscule, the nature of the participatory process is controversial enough that two questions are repeatedly asked: Should federal funds be used to support citizen participation? If so, how should this be accomplished? In this article, I explore answers to these queries by reviewing the experience under four programs: urban renewal, the juvenile delinquency/gray area projects, community action, and model cities. This review will show that there has