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Self-Organization and Digital Participation: Evaluating DAOs and Alternative Governance Models

Sabrina Wollenschläger & Michael Lustenberger

Information Polity2026https://doi.org/10.1177/15701255261421040article
ABDC B
Weight
0.50

Abstract

This study examines how Decentralized Autonomous Organisations (DAOs) could be incorporated into municipal administration to improve citizen participation and transparency. As DAOs in governance are attracting growing academic and practical attention, this research uses scenarios to analyze the conditions for their application at municipal and regional levels. It takes a conceptual, scenario-based approach to develop a model for DAO-based e-participation, identifying key concepts and their relationships to explain how DAOs operate as self-regulated systems for digital participation. The research is structured into three phases: First, in the foundational phase, this study synthesizes existing research on DAOs and participatory governance models, contrasting blockchain-based and traditional processes to establish a framework for DAO integration. Second, the application phase uses illustrative scenarios to explore how DAO mechanisms might influence participation and decision-making in municipalities. Third, the evaluation and recommendation phase consolidates insights into a structured model for implementation, highlighting task characteristics, contextual conditions, and organizational capacities that shape DAO feasibility. The analysis suggest that DAOs may enable new forms of participation and more transparent procedures, but only when antecedent conditions such as digital literacy, administrative capacity, and infrastructure stability are sufficiently met. Future work should look at long-term effects, compare cases across municipalities, and examine the role of legal and regulatory frameworks.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/15701255261421040

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@article{sabrina2026,
  title        = {{Self-Organization and Digital Participation: Evaluating DAOs and Alternative Governance Models}},
  author       = {Sabrina Wollenschläger & Michael Lustenberger},
  journal      = {Information Polity},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/15701255261421040},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

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