Coupling Democratic Innovations: Interactions of Mini-Publics and Direct Democratic Instruments in Germany and Beyond

Policy-making increasingly combines democratic innovations, most prominently deliberative mini-publics (DMP) and direct democratic instruments (DD). Yet systematic understanding of their coupling, the connection and interaction of DMP and DD, remains limited. Existing research has focused on a small set of canonical cases and conceptualises couplings primarily around votes. This article shows that such vote-centred approaches overlook important bottom-up dynamics through which DMP and DD become linked in practice. Drawing on typological theorising and case mapping, the article develops a processual typology that identifies six empirical variants. German local and regional cases reveal two underexplored forms: contestatory and channelling couplings. The typology further distinguishes designed and reactive patterns, showing that coupling may be institutionally pre-arranged but can also arise reactively through mobilisation, contestation, and institutional response. The article thereby advances concept formation by clarifying the diverse ways in which DMP and DD are coupled in practice. It contributes to debates on democratic systems and participatory governance by specifying how different forms of coupling perform distinct democratic functions across the policy process and inform questions of democratic design.