The community perspective in public policy

meaning, potentials, and challenges

Abstract

This article analyzes the relevance of the community perspective in public policy within a global context marked by profound geopolitical transformations, accelerated technological advances, the climate emergency, and the decline of liberal democracies. Contrary to the idea that global challenges require exclusively state or international responses, it is argued that the community approach is not only relevant but essential. The central thesis proposes that its incorporation strengthens social cohesion, improves the capacity to address complex problems, and contributes to the democratic quality of public policies. The study illustrates these contributions through two concrete fields: health promotion and climate resilience, where collective action based on territorial proximity allows for more effective and contextualized responses. Likewise, it highlights the role of local governments as spaces for innovation and democratic resistance. However, the article also warns about the limits of the community approach, especially through the so-called “triple trap” (local, community, and participatory), which can lead to inefficiency, exclusion, or the reproduction of inequalities if not adopted critically. In conclusion, it proposes understanding the community perspective as a transversal logic capable of articulating the local and the global to comprehensively address some of the major contemporary challenges.