The Impacts of Transparency and Personalization on Feelings of Agency and Connection in Democratic Decision Making

Community engagement processes often shape policies that affect people’s daily lives, yet they frequently struggle to build transparency, understanding, and agency. Civic technologies aim to address this gap by making connections between voices and decisions visible, but rarely evaluate impact on democratic participants. This study examines the effects of varying levels and types of transparency, including personalization, in technology-enabled civic decision-making on perceptions of agency, vertical and horizontal transparency, and community connection. We conducted an experiment with 266 participants who advocated for a local skate park or tennis court, and then received a decision for or against their position under varying transparency conditions. Results show that increased transparency improved perceptions of agency, vertical transparency, and horizontal transparency, but personalization had limited effects. Qualitative reflections highlighted horizontal transparency as particularly valuable for opening perspectives and enhancing participant experience. We discuss key design implications for civic technologies.