Seattle process

The Seattle process or Seattle way[1] is a term stemming from the political procedure in Seattle and King County, and to a lesser extent other cities and the Washington state government. The term has no strict definition but refers to the pervasively slow process of dialogue, deliberation, participation, and municipal introspection before making any decision and the time it takes to enact any policy. An early definition came from a 1983 editorial in the Seattle Weekly, "the usual Seattle process of seeking consensus through exhaustion."[2]

"In its positive connotation the Seattle Way values popular participation, transparent process and meaningful debate. More negatively, it has been decried as a culture that values process and debate over results, that bogs down and can't get important things done."—Mark Purcell, Recapturing Democracy.[3]

"The Seattle Way usually is defined as circular consultation reaching indecision. But it also consists of an uninvolved electorate and public decisions taken carelessly, without regard for experience elsewhere and unmindful of consequence."—Ted Van Dyk, contributing columnist to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer[4]

The Seattle process, and claimed devotion to it, has been an issue in political races. In the 2001 Mayoral Election candidate Greg Nickels used devotion to Seattle process as an issue against his opponent, city attorney Mark Sidran, who promised a more decisive style.[5] However, eight years later Nickels' style as Mayor would be criticized in a re-election race as top-down, autocratic, and antithetical to the Seattle process.[6]

  1. ^ Bennett, Michael (2008). Economic Development in American Cities: The Pursuit of an Equity Agenda. SUNY Press. p. 115. The Seattle Way, while time consuming, reflects the city's bias toward openness, accessibility, and citizen participation.
  2. ^ Moody, Fred (2004). Seattle and the Demons of Ambition: From Boom to Bust in the Number One City of the Future. Macmillan. p. 66.
  3. ^ Purcell, Mark Hamilton (2008). Recapturing Democracy: Neoliberalization and the Struggle for Alternative Urban Futures. Taylor & Francis. pp. 111, 119.
  4. ^ Van Dyk, Ted (February 19, 2004). "Seattle Way blocks transportation issues". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  5. ^ Verhovek, Sam Howe (November 17, 2001). "Winner Emerges in Seattle Mayor's Race". New York Times.
  6. ^ Tibbits, George (August 9, 2009). "Making nice: Seattle mayor's style a primary issue". Seattle Times.