24 How do elected officials perceive deliberative citizens’ assemblies?

De Gruyter eBooks, pp. 325–336

Abstract

Despite their increasing use, citizens’ assemblies are far from being unanimously supported by elected officials. While citizens’ assemblies offer the opportunity to increase the quality and acceptance of decision-making, they may also require to give away power and engage with alternative legitimacies. In light of this ambiguity, the objective of this chapter is to explore how elected officials perceive CAs, i.e. when they support and when they oppose them? The question is addressed from two angles. First, the theoretical bases of why elected officials may (dis)like CAs are considered. Secondly, the results of existing empirical research on the matter are reviewed. These findings are then discussed vis-à-vis their theoretical relevance and the main lessons for the prospects of CAs as a democratic reform proposal are derived.

Authors 1

1. Christoph Nießen corresponding Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University,N etherlands