It's Not Just the Taking Part that Counts: 'Like Me' Perceptions Connect the Wider Public to Minipublics

Many deliberative democrats herald the potential of minipublics to help improve the quality of democratic decision-making. Yet these democratic innovations present a paradox: how can the use of minipublics be perceived as legitimate by the maxi-public when most citizens cannot participate? This article tests the hypothesis that on-participants perceive minipublics to be legitimate when they perceive minipublic participants to be like them – and when they perceive politicians to be unlike them. It presents survey evidence from Northern Ireland that confirms the hypothesis.