Stimulating civic behavior? The paradoxes of incentivising self-organization

ABSTRACT Crowding theory has highlighted the unintended consequences that well-meant financial incentives can have on behaviour. Using field research, this study applies crowding theory to self-organising citizens’ initiatives in the Netherlands. Citizens’ initiatives create different kinds of goods and services and are sometimes supported by governmental ‘citizens’ initiatives stimulation funds’. We found that (1) the crowding effect is multifaceted; (2) the psychological processes and mechanisms of crowding in and out are subtle and can happen simultaneously; (3) in some instances, stimulation funds seem to have affected the preferences of the initiatives, such as expectations about the funds’ presence and procedures; and, (4) stimulation funds are well-suited to instrumentally support the initiatives in realising their plans and ambitions, but less suited in fostering civic behaviour or spontaneous self-organisation. Our research raises important considerations about the possibilities and constraints for stimulating civic behaviour through stimulating citizens’ initiatives.