To gain insight into support for participatory and deliberative procedures, we analysed existing and developed novel survey questions. We conducted qualitative laddering interviews in the context of participatory budgeting processes in different trust contexts. Previous studies often surveyed individuals’ opinions about different competing models of democracy (“representative” vs. “direct” vs “deliberative” models) which often include the replacing of representatives. We developed and fielded survey questions that study participatory procedures as additions to representative democracy rather than replacements. We gathered insight into public support for participatory and deliberative processes. Support for direct democratic instruments (e.g. a referendum) is generally higher than deliberative instruments (e.g. a citizen assembly). Support is an attitude with a stable core and a dynamic component that reacts to the environment e.g. context, issue, … . While this stable part has been well-explained, the dynamic part was understudied. We moved away from model thinking (i.e. representative/deliberative/direct/.. democratic models as competition and people supporting one or another) and refocused on the problems people see and that processes try to address and when to use which process and in which combinations. The results of these studies were published in the European Journal of Political Research and the British Journal of Political Research (e.g. Werner, Felicetti & Marien 2020; Van Dijk, Werner, Marien, forthcoming; Werner & Jacobs, 2022; Werner 2020).
To gain insight into the effect of participatory and deliberative procedures on perceived democratic legitimacy, we conducted panel studies and experiments. We reflected extensively on the contributions and challenges connected to experimental methods in this field (Muradova 2020; Werner & Muradova, 2022). The results of these studies were published amongst others in the European Journal of Political Research, European Political Science Review, British Journal of Political Research, Political Studies, Electoral Studies (e.g. Dryzek et al 2019; Kern, Marien, Muradova forthcoming, Elkink et al 2020; Muradova & Arceneaux 2022; Muradova 2020; Pow, van Dijk, Marien 2020; Werner & Marien 2020; Werner & Jacobs 2022; van Dijk & Lefevere 2022).
