Public spirit with a kick: A growing band of civic entrepreneurs is challenging the culture and lethargic performance of our basic social services

Source: (1998) New Statesmen 127 (May 1): 36.

Using an example from restorative policing in the Thames Valley Police, Charles Leadbeater characterizes restorative justice advocates and practitioners as “civic entrepreneurs.â€? In his perspective, they are people who are innovating a better way of organizing the public sector’s resources to create a more effective service, thus delivering more social value and creating longer lasting social capital. To make his point, Leadbeater contrasts the innovative capabilities of certain private sector companies with the slowness of much of the public sector in learning and changing. Civic entrepreneurship, as he calls it, is necessary for a renewed public sector. Toward that end, he identifies key characteristics of civic entrepreneurship.