Democratic innovation and co-creation as self-help: the limits of normative overload in theory construction

This article examines the growing normative literature on democratic innovation and citizen involvement in societal development, often called co-creation. This stream of theory promotes co-creation as a new and more democratic path forward for modern democracy. The aim of this article is to provide a critical perspective on co-creation theory and the relevant evidence. To achieve this, an in-depth analysis was conducted of publications by three of the most prolific researchers in the field of co-creation and network governance. We conclude that the theory is influenced almost exclusively by a normative ambition to change social relations, and that the theory would benefit from a more systematic sociological approach and a more critical understanding of how structural factors influence actors who engage in co-creation. By initiating this discussion, the article encourages a more critical approach to co-creation and contributes to the development of the theory of public policy and democratic innovation.