SMITH, Gerald E. <br/><br/>
Reframing the metaphor of the citizen-government relationship :  a value-centered perspective 

 - Malden, MA :  Blackwell Publishers,  jul./aug. 1997 
<br/><br/> This article examines the relationship between citizens and government, and proposes a value-centered model taht focuses on the worth of government to its citizen. The value-centered perspective builds on two models presented in previous research: the customer model and the owner model. We contrast these models and show how they interrelate. We then report the results of exploratory field research with constituents of a northeastern city to examine the applicability and usefulness of the value perspective in describing and influencing citizen perceptions of the value of city government. The results suggest that citizens were unaccustomed to thinking of the value of government; yet they expressed opinions, engaged in activities, and coinvested personal resources in a way that was consistent with the value perspective