Participatory Governance and Responsiveness: Do Motivational Interventions Increase Engagement with Citizen Input?

Abstract

Bureaucrats are important agents in participatory governance processes, especially in local government where bureaucrats are awarded greater discretion to enact small changes to local policy. This study employs a large field experiment to test (1) whether bureaucrats tasked with policy design and implementation engage with citizen input and (2) whether bureaucrats’ engagement with citizen input can be increased by using non-monetary rewards and value-based communication. It finds low baseline engagement but that motivational interventions increase engagement with citizen input significantly and substantially. The study contributes to theories of public service motivation and the role of bureaucrats in serving the public. Empirically, its contribution centres on testing the potential for interventions to heighten the attention bureaucrats award to information that citizens legitimately relay to the bureaucracy via participatory initiatives.