Research project: Cultures of participation in Europe and the advent of the citizen expert in modern governance
Principal Investigator: Dr. Eva Krick
Funded by: German Research Council (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG)
Duration: 04/2025-03/2028
The research project investigates the diverse cultures of citizen participation across Europe.
It is grounded in the observation that many modern democracies seek to broaden citizen engagement beyond electoral processes, but seem to adopt a wide range of participatory governance approaches – a diversity that has not yet been adequately documented or analysed in existing research.
Employing qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the project adopts a comparative lens to systematically examine citizen participation practices and discourses in different contexts, aiming to identify and understand variations across policy domains and political systems. The focus lies on participation rights and policies, citizen engagement institutions, and the narratives that shape participatory cultures.
The research seeks to elucidate varying conceptions of 'good' participation in public discourse, different interpretations of 'representativeness,' the various roles assigned to citizens, and the democratic models and legitimacy perceptions these understandings signify.
Particular attention is given to the interplay between knowledge and power, especially regarding modes of involvement that leverage citizens' experiences as a knowledge resource.