Research

17 pages, 621 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Scope of Climate Assemblies: Lessons from the Climate Assembly UK

by Stephen Elstub, Jayne Carrick, David M. Farrell and Patricia Mockler

Sustainability 2021, 13(20), 11272; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132011272 - 13 Oct 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5299

In recent times we have seen a spate of climate assemblies across Europe as the climate emergency gains increasing prominence in the political agenda and as the citizens’ assembly approach to public engagement gains popularity. However, there has been little empirical research on [...] Read more.

In recent times we have seen a spate of climate assemblies across Europe as the climate emergency gains increasing prominence in the political agenda and as the citizens’ assembly approach to public engagement gains popularity. However, there has been little empirical research on how the scope of citizens’ assemblies affects the internal logic of the assembly process and its impacts on external policy actors. This is a significant oversight given the power of agenda setting. It is also of particular importance for climate assemblies given the exceptional scale and complexity of climate change, as well as the need for co-ordination across all policy areas and types of governance to address it. In this paper, we start to address this gap through an in-depth case analysis of the Climate Assembly UK. We adopt a mixed methods approach, combining surveys of the assembly members and witnesses, interviews with the assembly members, organisers, MPs, parliamentary staff, and government civil servants, and non-participant observation of the process. We find that attempts to adapt the assembly’s scope to the scale of the climate change issue compromised assembly member learning, the co-ordination of the resulting recommendations, assembly member endorsement of the recommendations, and the extent of their impact on parliament and government. We argue that more democratization in setting the agenda could help combat these issues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Political Participation and Sustainability: Exploring Contemporary Challenges)

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14 pages, 793 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ecology Projects and Participatory Budgeting: Enhancing Citizens’ Support

by Sergiu Gherghina and Paul Tap

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10561; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su131910561 - 23 Sep 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2452

Abstract

In contemporary times, a large number of ecology projects are put on the public agenda through participatory budgeting. There is variation in the support they receive from citizens, but until now we have not known what drives this support. This article aims to [...] Read more.

In contemporary times, a large number of ecology projects are put on the public agenda through participatory budgeting. There is variation in the support they receive from citizens, but until now we have not known what drives this support. This article aims to identify the factors that could determine the support for ecology projects in participatory budgeting. It includes all 36 projects on ecology, which passed the technical eligibility check, submitted to the participatory budgeting in Cluj-Napoca (Romania) between 2017 and 2019. We use quantitative analysis to test the extent to which five project characteristics have an effect on the public support for the ecology projects: the requested budget, the type of project, the number of arguments, the use of jargon, and images and videos in addition to text descriptions. The results show that citizens take the environmental matters seriously and do not vote for schematic projects that are limited in scope and which have limited contribution to the general welfare. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Political Participation and Sustainability: Exploring Contemporary Challenges)

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19 pages, 1494 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Engaged, Indifferent, Skeptical or Critical? Disentangling Attitudes towards Local Deliberative Mini-Publics in Four Western European Democracies

by Sebastien Rojon and Jean-Benoit Pilet

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10518; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su131910518 - 22 Sep 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2278

Abstract

Democratic innovations, such as deliberative mini-publics, are designed to encourage public engagement in policymaking. They are increasingly being used to inform decision-making on the environment, climate change, and other sustainability issues. Research on support for democratic innovations has focused on identifying citizens in [...] Read more.

Democratic innovations, such as deliberative mini-publics, are designed to encourage public engagement in policymaking. They are increasingly being used to inform decision-making on the environment, climate change, and other sustainability issues. Research on support for democratic innovations has focused on identifying citizens in favor and understanding whether they are “enraged” or “engaged” with politics. However, this approach ignores potential differences between citizens expressing more (or less) positive attitudes towards democratic innovations. In an online vignette study, respondents from four Western European countries rated varying descriptions of a local mini-public, indicating both their support for the decision-making process and their willingness to get involved. Four distinct groups were identified based on a latent profile analysis: (1) those who are truly engaged, in that their support for mini-publics is reinforced by intentions to participate, correspond to one-third of citizens. Engaged deliberative democrats stand out as being more concerned about the environment than any other issue on the agenda; (2) the majority of citizens are indifferent, expressing neither positive nor negative inclinations towards mini-publics; (3) a group of “elitists” is skeptical of integrating citizens into policymaking despite intending to participate themselves; and finally (4), a small share of citizens was identified as critics, scoring low on both support and willingness to participate in a mini-public. The diversity of profiles points to the challenges of using deliberative mini-publics to address sustainability issues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Political Participation and Sustainability: Exploring Contemporary Challenges)

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21 pages, 332 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Importance of Context and the Effect of Information and Deliberation on Opinion Change Regarding Environmental Issues in Citizens’ Juries

by Andrew G.H. Thompson, Oliver Escobar, Jennifer J. Roberts, Stephen Elstub and Niccole M. Pamphilis

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9852; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13179852 - 02 Sep 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3556

Abstract

Citizens’ juries have become a popular method for engaging citizens in deliberation about complex public policy issues, such as climate action and sustainable development. Empirical evidence routinely indicates that jurors change their minds throughout the process. What is less clear is when and [...] Read more.

Citizens’ juries have become a popular method for engaging citizens in deliberation about complex public policy issues, such as climate action and sustainable development. Empirical evidence routinely indicates that jurors change their minds throughout the process. What is less clear is when and why this occurs and whether the causes are consistent across juries that consider the same topic but are situated within different contexts. We present evidence of opinion change in citizens’ juries through a natural experiment, contrasting three local contexts of onshore windfarm development in Scotland; viz. existing, planned, and absent. Jurors’ individual opinions of climate change, wind energy, and windfarms were measured through questionnaires at four time points: the start, following information-giving, reflection, and deliberation. Statistical examination of jurors’ responses, through paired sample t-tests, Wilcoxon sign-tests, and Generalised Least Squares regression, reveals to what extent substantive changes were associated with different phases and locational contexts. In all three juries, opinion change occurs throughout the process, on different topics, and to different degrees. While the information phase consistently influences jurors’ opinions the most, jury composition affects the magnitude and direction of opinion change, with outcomes contingent on contexts. Our findings are important for informing how mini-publics are designed and used to inform environmental policy-making at different scales. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Political Participation and Sustainability: Exploring Contemporary Challenges)

17 pages, 324 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Democratically Sustainable Local Development? The Outcomes of Mixed Deliberation on a Municipal Merger on Participants’ Social Trust, Political Trust, and Political Efficacy

by Kim Strandberg, Kim Backström, Janne Berg and Thomas Karv

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7231; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13137231 - 28 Jun 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4178

Abstract

Municipal mergers are typically contentious and polarizing issues among both citizens and politicians. In deciding on these, municipal-level referendums are often commissioned by municipal councils. Referendums, though, are also per se polarizing processes that only exacerbate an already polarizing issue. Adding deliberation to [...] Read more.

Municipal mergers are typically contentious and polarizing issues among both citizens and politicians. In deciding on these, municipal-level referendums are often commissioned by municipal councils. Referendums, though, are also per se polarizing processes that only exacerbate an already polarizing issue. Adding deliberation to referendum processes has been shown in previous studies to be a more democratically sustainable process than mere referendums. In this study, we explore the use of mixed deliberation between citizens and politicians within a municipal merger process in the municipality of Korsholm in Finland, one year before a referendum on the issue occurred. The deliberations were two-hour sessions in February 2018, with local politicians present in each discussion group. Using pre- and post-deliberation surveys, we trace how citizens (n = 117) engaging in deliberation developed their social trust, political trust, and political efficacy during deliberation. Generally, we expected that all of these would be strengthened in deliberation. The results, however, reveal only a few statistically significant effects, some of which ran contrary to expectations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Political Participation and Sustainability: Exploring Contemporary Challenges)

12 pages, 1470 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Participatory Democracy and Sustainability. Deliberative Democratic Innovation and Its Acceptance by Citizens and German Local Councilors

by Norbert Kersting

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7214; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13137214 - 28 Jun 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4982

Abstract

Political participation and sustainability seem to be closely intertwined. In the last few decades it can be shown that the topic of sustainability and ecological interest groups play an important role in citizen engagement, political participation, and democratic innovations at the local level. [...] Read more.

Political participation and sustainability seem to be closely intertwined. In the last few decades it can be shown that the topic of sustainability and ecological interest groups play an important role in citizen engagement, political participation, and democratic innovations at the local level. Using a participatory rhombus model of participatory democracy, different forms of participation and democratic innovations in the representative sphere, in direct democracy, in demonstrative participatory space, and finally in deliberative participatory instruments are important in the decision-making for sustainability policies. Here the paper tries to close the gap in empirical data on the perceptions of citizens and councilors on these participatory instruments. Citizens believe strongly in the importance of elections and referendums, but they extend their political repertoire and start protesting and demanding more deliberative democracy. Councilors positively perceive democratic innovations, and the councilors of the Green Party in particular strongly support new participatory instruments. However, citizens and councilors do not support all instruments in the same way. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Political Participation and Sustainability: Exploring Contemporary Challenges)

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13 pages, 254 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainability and Politics: Explaining the Emergence of the 2020 Budapest Climate Assembly

by Daniel Oross, Eszter Mátyás and Sergiu Gherghina

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6100; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13116100 - 28 May 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2671

Abstract

The relationship between political participation and the pursuit of sustainability at the local level has been investigated extensively in the literature. In this content, the emergence and extensive use of citizens’ assemblies receive particular attention. Much research focuses on the functioning of these [...] Read more.

The relationship between political participation and the pursuit of sustainability at the local level has been investigated extensively in the literature. In this content, the emergence and extensive use of citizens’ assemblies receive particular attention. Much research focuses on the functioning of these assemblies and potential impact in the community. However, we know very little about why such initiatives occur. This article fills that gap in the literature and aims to explain why a citizens’ assembly on climate change was organized. It focuses on the Citizens’ Assembly in Budapest (Hungary), organized in the fall of 2020 with randomly selected citizens. The findings illustrate that although civil society initiated the deliberative process, the prime mover of the Citizens’ Assembly was political. Local politicians pursued this objective to fulfil their election pledges, ensure ideological consistency and promote sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Political Participation and Sustainability: Exploring Contemporary Challenges)

13 pages, 241 KiB

Open AccessArticle

For the Sake of the Future: Can Democratic Deliberation Help Thinking and Caring about Future Generations?

by Katariina Kulha, Mikko Leino, Maija Setälä, Maija Jäske and Staffan Himmelroos

Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5487; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13105487 - 14 May 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3226

Abstract

This article examines whether democratic deliberation can enhance participants’ capacity to consider future generations’ perspectives and willingness to make sacrifices to ensure their well-being. In addition to normal deliberation, we are interested in the effects of a mental time travel exercise where deliberators [...] Read more.

This article examines whether democratic deliberation can enhance participants’ capacity to consider future generations’ perspectives and willingness to make sacrifices to ensure their well-being. In addition to normal deliberation, we are interested in the effects of a mental time travel exercise where deliberators imagine themselves in the future (without ageing). The study is based on an experiment conducted as a part of Citizens’ Assembly that contributed to the long-term planning of the Satakunta region in Finland. Our findings suggest that deliberation as such increases participants’ willingness to consider future generations’ perspectives in long-term planning; yet the mental time travel exercise had only a modest impact on perspective-taking. The results also show some support for the assumption that deliberation can enhance willingness to make sacrifices for future generations, although we do not see such an impact in case of an intergenerational conflict in flood protection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Political Participation and Sustainability: Exploring Contemporary Challenges)

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