Democracy as problem solving : civic capacity in communities across the globe 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 childrens movement Rights conflict and civic capacity : meeting the needs of poor children and families in postapartheid Cape Town Conclusion