Different Processes, Different Outcomes? Assessing the Individual‐Level Impacts of Public Participation

Abstract This article empirically investigates the relative efficacy of different direct participation processes . Specifically , it compares the effects of three types of participatory processes (public meetings , focus groups , and citizen juries) on participants' issue awareness , competence , empowerment , and trust in service professionals . The authors hypothesize that all three participatory processes will positively affect these individual outcomes but that the magnitudes of effects will differ across the three processes . Using data from field experiments , the authors test and find general support for the hypotheses . This study contributes to understanding of public participation , particularly in terms of the relationship between participatory design and outcomes .