Citizens and the legitimacy outcomes of collaborative governance: An administrative burden perspective

Is collaborative governance 'democracy-enhancing' and does it generate legitimacy? Drawing from the literatures on administrative burden and policy feedback and a positive approach to legitimacy, this theoretical article studies how the institutional design of collaborative governance impacts on the legitimacy citizens grant the state and the bureaucracy. It argues that three legitimacy-enhancing effects based on targeting, deliberation and exposure are likely, providing that a specific set of institutional features is present. This article invites scholars and practitioners to reflect not only on the direct consequences of collaborative governance but also on its broader democratic outcomes.