Goñi, I. (2026)
In this paper with Sofie Illemann Jæger, we explore how citizen assemblies are carefully designed environments that shape how people deliberate, collaborate, and participate. Using the Aarhus Climate Assembly as a case study, we argue that public participation works as a form of “scaffolding” that guides interaction and structures collective decision-making.
In this article, we examine how citizen assemblies are actively designed to shape the way people interact, deliberate, and contribute to collective decisions. We argue that participation works as a form of “scaffolding”: a temporary structure that guides discussion, defines legitimate forms of contribution, and organises collaboration within democratic processes.
Drawing on an in-depth study of the Aarhus Climate Assembly, the paper analyses how facilitation methods, interaction rules, and participatory formats influence the experience and outcomes of deliberation.