Introducing the laddering technique to the study of democratic innovations: insights from deliberative and participatory forums

We introduce laddering interviewing as a qualitative method for comparative research in the study of citizens’ demand for participatory and deliberative governance. Originating in psychology and marketing research, laddering interviewing can be adapted to generate unique insight about citizens’ preferences about democratic innovations and the values that inform these preferences. By applying this method to two illustrative case studies of deliberative and participatory forums in Northern Ireland and The Netherlands, we demonstrate its effectiveness in revealing common values such as mutual understanding, diversity, equality of voice, collective action, and impact. Further, we identify the context-specific values like budget-related attributes and local social cohesion. The values we found tend to differ from those that theorists and practitioners often envisage as key to democratic innovations. This methodological approach offers critical insights that highlight the nuanced and context-dependent nature of citizens' preferences.