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Citizen-initiated contacting of public officials, a form of political participation of special interest to urban scholars, has been viewed by some as a maverick form of participation, unexplainable by the standard socioeconomic model; others find that socioeconomic variables are associated with contacting, while still others argue that need for government attention is the key factor in an explanatory model of contacting. This paper presents data supporting the argument that need is a key predictor, and that the role of socioeconomic variables is contingent on perceived need. An argument is developed that this link between need and mobilization differentiates contacting from other modes of participation, and reflects a public ethic in the urban services realm that differs from the ethic of selfreliance that tempers other forms of participation.
Elaine B. Sharp (Thu,) studied this question.