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The aim of the article is to discuss how and to what extent co-creation has the capacity to strengthen democratic legitimacy. By distinguishing between output-based and input-based co-creation, and by discussing types of legitimacy in relation to deliberative, participatory, and representative conceptions of democracy, the article points to potentials and pitfalls inherent in the idea of co-creation. Four examples from Denmark and Norway are used to illustrate the argument. In conclusion, the article points to main challenges associated with co-creation which deserves more research—particularly inequality of individual resources and the clash with the party-political system. ; Support grants provided by the Research Council of Norway (#300761). ; publishedVersion

The aim of the article is to discuss how and to what extent co-creation has the capacity to strengthen democratic legitimacy. By distinguishing between output-based and input-based co-creation, and by discussing types of legitimacy in relation to deliberative, participatory, and representative conceptions of democracy, the article points to potentials and pitfalls inherent in the idea of co-creation. Four examples from Denmark and Norway are used to illustrate the argument. In conclusion, the article points to main challenges associated with co-creation which deserves more research—particularly inequality of individual resources and the clash with the party-political system.

Based in an analysis of elderly care and primary school, the article discusses and explores marketization and especially user choice as a type of democratic participation in Swedish and Norwegian local government. Empirical data include surveys among Swedish and Norwegian citizens and case studies in four municipalities. The analysis shows that having a choice regarding service delivery is considered a significant means of influencing policies among the citizens in the two countries. Comparing the two policy sectors leads to a conclusion that user choice is developing as a means of influence in both sectors, but most important in primary school, and more developed in Sweden compared to Norway. The case studies aim to explore and illustrate the reasoning about choice and democracy among local leaders. This analysis clearly illustrates how the conceptual relation between marketization and democracy varies to an almost extreme extent among local government leaders in Sweden and Norway.

Based in an analysis of elderly care and primary school, the article discusses and explores marketization and especially user choice as a type of democratic participation in Swedish and Norwegian local government. Empirical data include surveys among Swedish and Norwegian citizens and case studies in four municipalities. The analysis shows that having a choice regarding service delivery is considered a significant means of influencing policies among the citizens in the two countries. Comparing the two policy sectors leads to a conclusion that user choice is developing as a means of influence in both sectors, but most important in primary school, and more developed in Sweden compared to Norway. The case studies aim to explore and illustrate the reasoning about choice and democracy among local leaders. This analysis clearly illustrates how the conceptual relation between marketization and democracy varies to an almost extreme extent among local government leaders in Sweden and Norway.

The article discusses "local self-government", a core concept in a charter of the Council of Europe, and departs from a debate in the Norwegian Parliament about constitutional protection of local self-government. Newly, such a change was voted down, and this serves as an opportunity to question the idea about local self-government in a time when there are claims about a shift from government to governance. The article provides examples of co-governance in Norway, and argues that the meaning given by "local self-government" is not obvious. It also points to some possible issues in a future revision of the mentioned charter.

KEYWORDS: • self-government • co-governance • governance • Norway • Council of Europe