But for the people navigating those systems, what often matters more is how they feel: included or excluded, respected or dismissed.
At GCSI, we believe legitimacy must be a design priority, not an afterthought. As outlined in our strategy, “legitimacy must be built into the architecture of systems, not as a communications goal, but as a governance one.”
That means building trust through co-creation, not consultation. It means making space for shared decision-making, feedback that leads to change, and policy tools that reflect people’s lived realities.
These aren’t just ideal principles, they’re actionable design choices. The strategy outlines practical steps governments can take to embed legitimacy through participatory frameworks, equity-centered evaluations, and stronger civic infrastructure.
If we want public systems to be resilient and responsive, we have to build them with legitimacy from the start.
Access the strategy and see how your institution can apply it: https://governmentcouncil.org
Share this with anyone working to improve public systems from the inside out.
#LegitimacyByDesign #PublicTrust #GCSI #SystemDesign #InclusiveGovernance #SocialInnovation #GovernanceStrategy
