@article{01K4Q98ASAHEXE18EDTC17CFX9,
  abstract     = {{Deliberative mini-publics (DMPs) have the potential to bolster political trust, although poorly organized ones may worsen existing distrust. Therefore, it is essential to consider citizens' perceptions regarding their implementation. This article examines a key aspect in this regard: the optimal group size of DMPs, as perceived by the public. Three studies were conducted: an exploratory pilot study (n = 194 Belgian citizens), Study 1 (n = 516 UK citizens), and Study 2 (n = 527 UK citizens), which was a preregistered replication in a representative sample. In each study, participants evaluated various DMP sizes on four dimensions of legitimacy: representativeness, deliberation quality, efficiency, and efficacy. Our findings indicate that most participants intuitively make a trade-off between these different dimensions when evaluating how many citizens should partake in DMPs. In particular, a group of 100 citizens was identified as the size for DMPs to be perceived as representative, without compromising the perceived deliberation quality, efficiency, and efficacy. Remarkably, however, there is also a distinct and substantial group of participants who demand more than 1000 participating citizens to be satisfied. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.}},
  articleno    = {{12592}},
  author       = {{Waterschoot, Milena and Haesevoets, Tessa and Roets, Arne}},
  issn         = {{0190-292X}},
  journal      = {{POLICY STUDIES JOURNAL}},
  keywords     = {{deliberative mini-publics,optimal group size,participatory democracy,perceived legitimacy,political participation,POLITICAL TRUST,DEMOCRACY,CITIZENS,PARTICIPATION,SUPPORT,MATTER}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{16}},
  title        = {{The optimal group size of deliberative mini‐publics : a divide in perceptions}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1111/psj.12592}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}

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