Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation (Ladder of Public Participation)

• • Nonparticipation (Sherry Arnstein, 1960s) – modes of public participation in which officials offer citizens only contrived and manipulative forms of engagement:
    • Manipulation – a mode of public participation aimed at engineering support among citizens for existing officials
    • Therapy – a pseudo-participatory mode of engagement in which citizens are conned into believing they need authoritarian control to manage their problems
  • Tokenism (Sherry Arnstein, 1960s) – modes of public participation in which officials appear to involve citizens in meaningful exchange of information:
    • Informing – a mode of public participation characterized by a one-way flow of information from officials to citizens
    • Consultation – a mode of public participation in which citizens are invited to contribute insights and opinions, but without assurance officials are listening
    • Placation – a mode of public participation in which citizens are brought into the spaces occupied by officials, but perhaps only to show that they are involved
  • Citizen Power (Sherry Arnstein, 1960s) – modes of public participation in which citizens are genuinely and effectively involved with those in authority:
    • Partnership – a mode of public participation involving shared responsibilities for planning, decision-making, and conflict resolution
    • Delegated Power – a mode of public participation in which citizens are able to hold officials accountable and to compel officials to engage in good faith
    • Citizen Control – a mode of public participation in which citizens hold power – that is, oversee policy, manage operation, and control engagement with other organizations

Please cite this article as:
Davis, B., & Francis, K. (2023). “Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation (Ladder of Public Participation)” in Discourses on Learning in Education. https://learningdiscourses.com.