In deciding how to deliver public services, bureaucrats, not citizens, often have the loudest voice

Recent years have seen a growing movement for citizens to have a greater voice in how government services are designed and delivered – known as New Public Governance. In new research which examines regional advisory boards in the Department of Energy, James Tanner and Sarah L. Young find that when citizens and bureaucrats had similar political ideologies, citizens’ views had an influence on decision making, but when they disagreed, the agency favored bureaucrats’ opinions over citizens’ recommendations. They argue that while citizen participation matters, it may not be the holistic solution for governments that New Public Governance purports it to be.