Public Governance: Bringing citizens back in? WIPCAD Lectures, Potsdam 6 July 2016 Bas Denters

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1 Public Governance: Bringing citizens back in? WIPCAD Lectures, Potsdam 6 July 2016 Bas Denters 1

2 Public Governance: large, formal, governmental organisations In its broadest sense administration can be defined as the activities of groups cooperating to accomplish common goals (3) By public administration is meant, in common usage, the activities of executive branches of [...] governments (7) 2

3 More active role for citizens Politics: Setting goals Voters I Activism (70s) Referendums Clients Consumers (80s) Co-producers Administration: Accomplishing goals

4 British Coalition Government Cameron & Clegg Beyond state and market: More reliance on vitality of civil society and room for initiatives of individual citizens. 4

reduction civil service King s Speech 2013: Participatie

5 Hand back society to citizens Mark Rutte: Lean, smart government, lower taxes, less rules and regulations, reduction civil service King s Speech 2013: Participatie Samenleving Rely more on own initiative of communities and citizens 5

6 Bram de Swaan: In Care of the State 9 th -14 th century: Village communities voluntarily contributed to collective provisions for the local poor 19 th century: Voluntary mutual aid and selfmanagement of workers to cope with social risks 6

7 Christian Political Theory Catholicism: Subsidiarity Principle Protestantism Althusius (Emden): Consociatialism 7

8 Libertarian Socialism 8

9 Modern Times: CIs viable alternative? 1.Are citizens willing and capable to participate in Community Initiatives (IS)? 2.And how successful are these initiatives and which factors explain the chances for CI success? 9

10 Community Initiatives (CIs) Collective activities (action rather than voice) FOR THE PEOPLE: Aimed at their common interests BY THE PEOPLE: Initiated & implemented by citizens (with elements of coproduction) 10

11 Empirical research Survey I: 1079 residents Overijssel; Extra sample of Dutch citizens Survey amongst 1079 citizens Survey II: 134 CIs in 22 municipalities Panel of 10 local key informants per municipality: list of CIs Survey amongst 134 CI initiators 11

1. Rather broad participation CI Participation in last 2 years (Survey I) % Dutch voters who was (in)active in last 5 years None of these 64 Other 4 Via email / internet 16 Protest activity 7 Action

12 1. Rather broad participation CI Participation in last 2 years (Survey I) % Dutch voters who was (in)active in last 5 years None of these 64 Other 4 Via / internet 16 Protest activity 7 Action group 3 Contact politician / official 10 Participate in meeting Via party/organization Contact media Dutch National Election Survey Still: by far the most people do NOT participate 12

13 2. CIs remarkably successful 13

14 ACTIE!!!! Framework A mbition = motivations participants C ontacts = social capital participants T alents and time c.a. = individual resources participants I nstitutionalisation = rules & routines (structure) E mpathy = skills and attitudes (culture) S. Verba e.a. (1995) Voice and Equality, Harvard UP. V. Lowndes (2006). Diagnosing and Remedying the Failings of Official Participation Schemes: The CLEAR Framework. Social Policy and Society,

15 A-Factor: motivations Material Collective (Group) Policy changes (e.g. safe/clean city, neighborhood or street) Selective (Individual) Building permit Improved CV Social Civic Improving social cohesion (in city or street) Citizens Initiatives Strengthening local democracy Nice and cosy Exciting Interesting Neighbourly duties Civic duty 15

16 A-Factor: goals of CIs 16

17 C-Factor: social capital RESOURCE C ontacts MUTUAL TRUST SOCIAL CONTROL

18 T-Factor: individual resources T alents: Human capital T alents: Financial capital T ime

19 C and T: not a major problem 19

20 CI is collective action!!! Representativeness?? The lame is leading the blind 20

21 I and E-factor: Support 84% initiatives (N=134) received support Mostly adequate; sometimes mismatch (see chart) 21

22 Openness (I-factor) and empathy (E-factor) 1) Institutional Openness 2) Empathy + Responsiveness % of Cis experiencing problems with

23 23

24 CIs remarkably successful - Selection procedure - Self-reports 24

25 Modest aims, easy success Number of initiators > 5 persons 9% Number of participants > 20 persons 14% Allocated budget > % Does this work for more exacting tasks? % Time period 6-12 months Time period > 12 months How sustainable are such initiatives? 25% 11% Total 289 Verhoeven & Tonkens 2011; Cis in Amsterdam 25

26 Other benefits: competences % Better in consulting others 68 Better in organising 62 Better understanding others 68 Better understanding politics & government 52 Better able to defend my interests 55 Better in dealing with criticism 51 Total 289 Verhoeven & Tonkens 2011; Cis in Amsterdam 26

27 CIs: way to bring citizens back in? Considerable willingness on the part of citizens Yes they can! Useful for small, short-term projects regarding neighbourhood issues Useful for civic education More knowledge needed for viability with more complex, long-term issues. 27

28 EXTRA SLIDES 28

29 Who can do it? Representativeness The usual suspect Overrepresentation of: Males High incomes Academics 40+ age group Dutch nationality Descriptive representation 29

30 LOOKS participants? Survey Overijssel CI participation (N=1079) ACTUAL PARTICIPATION CI N0 YES Gender: male Gender: female Age: Age: Age: Education: low Education: medium Education: high

31 VIEWS participants? Survey Enschede neighborhood residents INVOLVEMENT Neighborhood green Garbage collection Vandalism Children s playgrounds Schools Children daycare Sports & recreation facilities Neighborhood center Neighborhood shops 3,00 3,03 2,68 2,73 3,10 2,95* 2,67 2,91 3,23 LOW HIGH 2,95 3,03 2,64 2,67 3,16 2,85* 2,70 2,90 3,22 N= ; * = statistically significant difference; Bakker et al

32 Representativeness: - There may be problems! - But not necessarily so. - ACTIE: how to solve problems 32

33 Simon, Thompson & Smithburg Public Administration (1950) Two interlocking goals for study of public administration: Understanding how people in organisations behave and how organisations operate Practical recommendations of how agencies can be most effectively organized (19) 33

What Makes for Successful Citizens Initiatives? 1

What Makes for Successful Citizens Initiatives? 1 Bas Denters, Judith Bakker and Pieter-Jan Klok (contact: s.a.h.denters@utwente.nl) Institute for Innovation and Governance Studies (IGS), University of