Do third parties matter for citizens’ public programme participation? Evidence from an administrative burden perspective

Third parties such as non-profits are increasingly recognized as influential actors in government – citizen interactions. Drawing on the administrative burden perspective, this study examines whether and how non-profit involvement as third parties is associated with citizens’ welfare participation. Using a longitudinal dataset from a welfare programme in China and employing staggered difference-in-differences designs, the analyses reveal that non-profit involvement is associated with higher citizens’ welfare receipt. The study further identifies important contextual contingencies: stronger top-down accountability amplifies the positive association between non-profit involvement and welfare participation, whereas denser non-profit environments attenuate it.