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Abstract

Abstract Procedural legitimacy is widely recognised as a central condition of democratic governance, yet existing research often examines participation through individual procedural attributes or specific participatory instruments. This study addresses that limitation by developing the Systemic Procedural Legitimacy Framework (SPLF), which conceptualises procedural legitimacy as an emergent property of participatory governance systems. The SPLF integrates insights from systems thinking, cybernetics, critical systems thinking, organisational learning, and leverage-point theory into a framework comprising four interdependent dimensions: system boundaries, information flows, feedback loops, and leverage points. The framework is examined through an abductive qualitative multiple-case study of nine Slovenian municipalities and one regional development agency. Data included 28 semi-structured interviews, municipal documents, digital participation platforms, and public records. The findings indicate that procedural legitimacy depends less on the existence of participatory mechanisms than on how participation is connected to communication, responsiveness, learning, and decision-making processes. Inclusive boundary management, transparent information flows, systematic feedback, and targeted interventions at key leverage points were associated with stronger perceptions of fairness, transparency, and responsiveness. The analysis also demonstrates that power relations and political dynamics shape all dimensions of participatory governance. The study contributes to participatory governance research by reconceptualising procedural legitimacy as a systemic phenomenon and by providing an analytical framework for examining how legitimacy is generated, sustained, and adapted within complex governance systems. The SPLF further offers a basis for future comparative research, systemic action research, and governance practice aimed at strengthening participatory legitimacy.