News

Publications

Events

Publications of the research project

• Berkvens, L. & Verschuere, B. (2025). The impact of institutionalised civil society participation in local policymaking in times of democratic innovation: the case of Flanders (Belgium). Journal of European Social Policy
• Berkvens, L., Suykens, B. & Verschuere, B. (2025). Who should (not) participate? Public Service Organisations’ Attitudes Towards Participation in Policy-Making Modes. Public Policy & Administration.
• Berkvens, L. & Verschuere, B. (2025). Hoeveel impact hebben lokale adviesraden op het beleidsproces? Vlaams Tijdschrift voor Overheidsmanagement. 43-61
• Van Severen, R., Haesevoets, T., Wauters, B., & Roets, A. (2025). Citizen preferences for decisional power levels and participatory instruments in local government. Policy Studies, 1–31. (link)
• Van Severen, R., Haesevoets, T., & Roets, A. (2025). From principle to practice: the limits of top-down referendums in reengaging political cynics. Political Research Exchange, 7(1). (link)
• De Smedt, N. (2025). The Perceptions’ Puzzle: Understanding the Key Drivers behind Politicians’ Perceptions of Participatory Practices. In H. Munzhedzi (Ed.), Challenges in Public Policy and Administration. IntechOpen. link
• De Smedt, N., Goutry, W., Steyvers , K. & Wauters, B. (2025). Resistor or meta-governor? Role conceptions of local elected representatives in participatory trajectories.  Administration and society.​ (link)
• Berkvens, L., & Verschuere, B. (2025). The (mis)match between civil society organisations and individual citizen participation. International Review of Public Policy. (link)
• Waterschoot, M., Haesevoets, T., & Roets, A. (2025). The optimal group size of deliberative mini-publics: A divide in perceptions. Policy Studies Journal. (link)
• Wauters, B., Haesevoets, T., Verschuere, B., Roets, A., Steyvers, K., Pittoors, G., Berkvens, L., De Smedt, N., Goutry, W. And Van Severen, R. (2025), Closing a gap or creating a new one? Comparing support for participatory instruments among different stakeholders. European Journal of Political Research, 64(3), 1351-1370. (Link)
• De Smedt, N., Haesevoets, T., Steyvers, K., & Wauters, B. (2024). The relationship between local councillors’ representative style and their support for participatory democracy. Party Politics, 31(4), 700-713. (link)
• De Smedt, N., Haesevoets, T., Steyvers, K., & Wauters, B. (2024). Instrumental councillors? On the strategic interests that drive local councillors’ legitimacy perceptions of citizen participation. Policy Studies, 46(6), 895-917. (link) 
• Goutry, W., Steyvers, K., Verschuere, B., & Haesevoets, T. (2024). Varieties of local participation? A vignette survey on local executive politicians’ legitimacy perceptions towards different participatory arrangements. International Political Science Review. 46(3), 353-369. (link) 
• Goutry, W., De Smedt, N., & Wagenaar, C. (2024). Gluren bij de buren: hoe waarderen Nederlandse en Vlaamse gemeenteraadsleden diverse vormen van burgerparticipatie?. Bestuurswetenschappen 2024-4, p. 63-89. (link) 
• Haesevoets, T., Verschuere, B., Roets, A. (2024). The public’s preferred balance between politicians, citizens, and experts in policy-making decisions. Policy Studies. Advance online publication: (link)
• Haesevoets, T., Verschuere, B., Van Severen, R., & Roets, A. (2024). How do citizens perceive the use of Artificial Intelligence in public sector decisions? Government Information Quarterly, 41(1). (link)
• Verschuere, B., Roets, A., Steyvers, K., Wauters, B., Haesevoets, T., Berkvens, L., De Smedt, N., Goutry, W., Pittoors, G., & Van Severen, R. (2024) Lokale democratie in Vlaanderen. De kijk van burgers, middenveld, politici en ambtenaren. Vanden Broele. 
• Van Severen, R., Roets, A., Van Muylem, D., Haesevoets, T., Van Hiel, A., & Wauters, B. (2024). Democratic and authoritarian government preferences in times of crisis: An experimental investigation. Social Psychology, 55(1), 37–50. (link)
• Verschuere, B., Hendriks, F. en Meijer A., Inleiding bij het themanummer ‘Democratische innovatie en burgerparticipatie. Bestuurswetenschappen 2024-4, p. 6-8. (link)
• Verschuere, B., Roets, A., Steyvers, K., Wauters, B., Berkvens, L., De Smedt, N., Goutry, W., Pittoors, G., Van Severen, R., & Haesevoets, T. (2024). Analysing policy actors’ preferences for different modes of governing in local government. Policy & Politics. 53(1), 22-43. (link) 
• Wauters, B., De Smedt, N., Goutry, W. & Luypaert, J. (2024). Opening doors to more intra-party democracy? Local politicians’ perspectives on including voters in candidate selection processes in Flanders (Belgium). Acta Politica. (link)
• Berkvens, L., Haesevoets, T., Roets, A., & Verschuere, B. (2023). Local civil society organisations’ appreciation of different local policy decision making instruments. Local Government Studies.50(3), 545-572. (link)
• De Smedt, N., Goutry, W., Steyvers, K., & Wauters, B. (2023). Van adviesraad tot bindend referendum: hoe beoordelen lokale politici instrumenten voor meer burgerinspraak?. In (Werknemers) participatie en lokale besturen in Vlaanderen (pp. 13-33). Vanden Broele. (link)
• Haesevoets, T. Roets, A., Van Severen, R., Dierickx, K., Verschuere, B. (2023). The public's preferred level of involvement in local policy-making. Scientific Reports, 13(1),  (7146). (link)
• Haesevoets, T. Roets, A., Steyvers, K., Verschuere, B. & Wauters, B. (2024). Towards a multifaceted meaure of perceived legitimacy of participatory governance.  Governance. 37(3), 711-728. (link)

 

Citizen initiatives

• Wauters, B.; Verschuere, B.; Valcke, T. (2020). Combining the best of both worlds? Party members and citizens’ initiatives in Belgium. Citizenship Studies, 24(6), 825-845. (link)
• Wauters, B. (2018) Which party members participate in direct action? A cross-national analysis” in: International Political Science Review, 39(2), 225-241.  (link)

 

Co-production of public services

• Vanleene, D., Voets, J. & Verschuere, B. (2020). The co-production of public value through leadership: Can street-level professionals make a difference? International Review of Administrative Sciences, 86(3):582-598. (link)
• Brandsen, T.; Steen, T. & Verschuere, B. (2020). Co-production. In: Anheier, H & Toepler, S. (Eds.). The Routledge Companion to Nonprofit Management, pp. 291-299. (link)
• Brandsen, T., Steen, T., Verschuere, B. (2019). Public Administration into the wild: grappling with co-production and social innovation. In: Massey, A. (Ed.), A Research Agenda for Public Administration. Edward Elgar, pp.63-78. (link)
• Dudau, A.; Glennon, R.; Verschuere, B. (2019). Following the yellow brick road? (Dis)enchantment with co-design, co-production and value co-creation in public services. Public Management Review, 21 (11), 1577-1594. (link)
• Brandsen, T., Steen, T., Verschuere, B. (eds.) (2018). Co-Production and Co-Creation: Engaging Citizens in Public Services. New York & London: Routledge (open access link).
• Meijer, A., Honingh, M., Steen, T., Verschuere, B., en Brandsen, T. (red.) (2018). Co-productie in de publieke sector. Den Haag: Boom Uitgevers. (link)
• Vanleene, D., Voets, J. & Verschuere, B. (2018). The Co-production of a Community: Engaging Citizens in Derelict Neighbourhoods. Voluntas, 29, 201–221. (link)
• Van Eijk, C., Steen, T. & Verschuere, B. (2017). Co-producing safety in the local community: a  Q-methodology study on the incentives of Belgian and Dutch members of neighbourhood watch schemes. Local Government Studies, 43:3, 323-343. (link)

 

Local democracy

• Van Trappen, S., Vandeleene, A. & Wauters, B. (2021), “One for me and one for you? The spillover effect of heads of lists on the presence and success of candidates of immigrant origin”, in: Electoral Studies, vol 71, June 2021. (link)
• Dandoy, R., Dodeigne, J., Steyvers, K., & Verthé, T. (Eds.). (2020). Lokale kiezers hebben hun voorkeur: de gemeenteraadsverkiezingen van 2018 geanalyseerd. Brugge: Vanden Broele. (link)
• Steyvers, K. (2020). De lokale vertegenwoordigende democratie hervormd: multiple choice? In H. Reynaert (Ed.), Wendbare lokale besturen in snel veranderende tijden (pp. 47–84). Brugge: Vanden Broele. (link)
• Thijssen, P., Wauters, B. & Van Erkel, P. (2018), Preferential voting in local versus national elections: The role of proximity revisited. In K. Deschouwer (Ed.), Mind the gap. Political participation and representation in Belgium (pp. 275-294). London: Rowman & Littlefield. (link)
• Van Trappen, S. & Wauters, B. (2018), “Kleur in de gemeenteraad?”, in: Samenleving & Politiek, vol. 25, no. 9, pp. 68-73. (link)

 

Deliberative mini-publics

• Renson, T. (2021). Does deliberation bear better citizens? An empirical analysis of and theoretical reflection on the mini-public effect on social learning in real world local policy-making. Gent: Ghent University Press (PhD-Thesis, promoted by H. Reynaert and K. Steyvers)

 

Roles of elected politicians

• Wauters, B., Bouteca, N. & de Vet, B. (2021), “Personalization of parliamentary behavior: conceptualization and empirical evidence from Belgium (1995-2014)”, in: Party Politics 27(2): 246–257. (link)
• de Vet, B. & Wauters, B. (2018), “Follow the Leader: Testing a Deductive Approach for the Study of Parliamentary Party Leadership Roles”, in: Journal of Legislative Studies 24(3), pp. 359-372. (link)

 

Opinion and analysis

• Van Severen, R. (2025). Why disillusioned citizens may back referendums in theory but not in practice. (link)
• Van Severen, R. (2024, 23 september). De ironie van de politieke cynicus? De kloof tussen democratische principes en de praktijk. Mensenkennis (link)
• Verschuere, B. (2024). "Politiek in tijden van wantrouwen." Uitgeverij Lannoo 
• Verschuere, B. (2023, 5 oktober). 'De zin en onzin van een volksraadpleging: 'Publiek debat vooraf is essentieel." Radio 1 (link)
• Verschuere, B. (2023, 8 augustus). "Bram Verschuere, prof bestuurskunde: ‘Niets is te complex om aan de burger voor te leggen." De Standaard (link)
• Verschuere, B. (2023, 7 augustus). 'Meer dan 200.000 Vlamingen mogen volgende maand naar de stembus.' De Standaard (link)
• Verschuere, B. (2023, 8 februari). 'De burger wordt best opnieuw wat meer in het centrum van onze democratie geplaatst'. Knack. (link)