Publication
How young adults explain their intention to participate in online direct citizen participation
In this article, Sarah Giest, Sandra Groeneveld and Annelieke C. van den Berg describe that facilitating direct citizen participation through online channels is considered as an opportunity for including harder to reach groups in participation.
- Author
- Sarah Giest, Sandra Groeneveld and Annelieke C. van den Berg
- Date
- 18 January 2024
- Links
- Read the full article here
This article focused on the challenge for government to involve citizens beyond the “usual suspects” in online direct participation and particularly addressed the puzzle why young adults remain underrepresented in online direct participation, even though they are heavy internet users and are therefore expected to be easier to include online. Because young adults (18-25) are heavy internet users, this group is expected to be easier to include online. According to the authors, it is a key challenge for governments organising direct citizen participation to promote inclusivity and include citizens beyond the 'usual suspects,' that is, those citizens who are easily recruited to participate and often have specific interests to defend. Successful participatory processes can improve the quality and legitimacy of government decisions and strengthen democratic values such as responsiveness and accountability.
The study included nine focus groups with young adult participants from varying education levels highlighted four explanatory narratives, namely cause-oriented participation, the role of social (media) networks, selective attention to cope with information overload and navigating misinformation and negativity. The article concluded that facilitating direct citizen participation through online channels is considered as an opportunity for including harder to reach groups in participation.