Unpacking the Mechanisms: How Citizen Participation Shapes Legitimacy Perceptions

As democracies face declining public trust and growing dissatisfaction, citizen participation is increasingly promoted as a way to enhance democratic legitimacy. While prior research shows that involving citizens in decision-making can improve perceptions of fairness and acceptance, it remains unclear why this is the case. Various studies highlight different explanations, ranging from transparency and inclusiveness to efficacy and representativeness, but systematic evidence on their relative importance is lacking. This project addresses this gap by investigating how different participatory processes influence perceptions of key procedural qualities and how these perceptions, in turn, shape legitimacy evaluations. Using a two-part, pre-registered vignette experiment across two countries, the study disentangles the mechanisms linking citizen participation to democratic legitimacy perceptions. By directly comparing the effects of key procedural mechanisms, the project contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how and under what conditions participation matters. The findings will inform both democratic theory and the design of participatory institutions, offering practical insights for policymakers seeking to build more legitimate and trusted decision-making processes.