Fairness and Competence in Citizen Participation

This book examines fair citizen participation as a key element of effective policy support. Over the past two decades, many countries have embraced more reflective and inclusive governance in environmental policymaking.

This book demonstrates how democratic and deliberative approaches yield better policy outcomes than technocratic methods that only superficially engage the public. Reflective governance highlights the importance of deliberative democracy, offering fair and open discourse opportunities for all stakeholders. Throughout the chapters, some of the most renowned authors in the field present the principal mechanisms for public engagement in deliberative decision-making.

By exploring innovative formats like stakeholder round tables and citizen assemblies, this book provides practical guidance on their unique merits and limitations. It addresses scholars, practitioners, and representatives of administrations, public and private institutions, and NGOs interested in a better understanding of the selection and design of the most effective formats for competent and fair policymaking, ensuring each format meets its full potential.

Highlights the benefits of democratic and deliberative approaches in environmental policymaking Presents in detail innovative formats like stakeholder round tables and citizen assemblies Provides practical guidance for implementing reflective governance in various institutional contexts

Autorentext

Ortwin Renn is a social scientist focusing on risk governance and public participation. He retired as Scientific Director at the International Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam (Germany) in December 2022 and serves as a Professor Emeritus for Environmental Sociology and Technology Assessment at the University of Stuttgart, Germany. He directs the non-profit company DIALOGIK, a research institute for the investigation of communication and participation processes. His research interests include risk governance (analysis, perception, communication), stakeholder and public involvement in environmental decision-making, transformation processes in economics, politics and society, and sustainable development.

Thomas Webler is a Senior Research Fellow at the Social and Environmental Research Institute in Massachusetts, USA. He studies community engagement in decision-making about controversial technologies. His current research focuses on civic capacity building for public participation in consent-based siting of controversial energy facilities such as deep geological repositories for nuclear waste, wind energy facilities, and solar farms.

Pia-Johanna Schweizer leads the Research Group Systemic Risk at the RIFS Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ in Potsdam, Germany. She is a Co-Speaker of the RIFS Research Theme Transforming Human-Earth Interactions. A trained sociologist, she focuses primarily on systemic risk, risk governance, and deliberative decision-making under risk and uncertainty. Schweizer investigates decision-making support efforts for risk management, as well as improving dialogue and cooperation of actors on all governance levels based on enhanced engagement, communication, and risk management strategies. Her research focuses on mechanisms of systemic risk propagation across society, multi-hazard/multi-risk phenomena, and inclusive risk governance.

Inhalt

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Legitimacy in Practice: Measuring What Makes Deliberative Public Participation 'Good'.- Chapter 3. Deliberative Democracy: Concepts and Implications.- Chapter 4. Citizens' Juries: A Time-Tested Approach to Deliberative Policymaking.- Chapter 5. Citizens' Juries: A Critical Perspective.- Chapter 6. Decision theaters and democracy.- Chapter 7. Effective Navigation: Technology and Participation in Decision-Visualization Environments.- Chapter 8. Online Participation Tools and Their Benefits for Participatory Democracy.- Chapter 9. Online Participation Tools and Their Benefits for Participatory Democracy Reflections and Complementary Perspectives.- Chapter 10. The consensus conference.- Chapter 11. The Danish Consensus Conference: A Critical Evaluation.- Chapter 12. Deliberative Polling® on Environmental Issues.- Chapter 13. Deliberative Polling A Critical Assessment.- Chapter 14. Multi-stakeholder Mediation: Improving the Practice of Deliberative Public Engagement.- Chapter 15. Can Mediation be Scaled Up to Facilitate Public Participation in Environmental Decision Making?.- Chapter 16. Citizens Assemblies & Mini-publics.- Chapter 17. Citizens Assemblies in democratic decision-making: Fundamental challenges and ways forward.- Chapter 18. More than words: The innovative potential of multi-stakeholder platforms.- Chapter 19. Multi-stakeholder platforms for social learning: Potentials, limitations, and challenges.- Chapter 20. A Semi-Revisionist Perspective on Citizen Forums.- Chapter 21. Conclusions and outlook.