Portsmouth, a small, cosmopolitan city in southern New Hampshire, has used "study circles" to engage citizens on a range of issues since 1999. In a city of 20,000, about 700 residents have grappled with issues such as sustainability, school redistricting, and violence. In 2010, the Portsmouth Listens study circles program was one of seven finalists for the Reinhard Mohn Prize. The prize will be awarded to a governmental institution that has vitalized democracy through participatory problem solving. (2011)

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