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An explorative study on expert participation in citizens’ councils and related participation processes
In research as well as in the political debate on consultative participation procedures such as citizens' councils, the discourse frequently centers on possible advantages and drawbacks of the procedures themselves, as well as on questions of legitimacy, decision-making competence, and effectiveness. However, researchers and policymakers rarely address the specific involvement of experts, and there has been little research conducted in this area. This publication aims to address this gap by exploring the functions that experts perform in consultative participation processes, identifying different role-profiles, and examining how experts perceive their role in practice.