Governments consult the public on countless decisions—proposed regulations, development projects, service changes, policy reforms, strategic plans, and more. These consultations range from meaningful exercises in democratic input to empty rituals that change nothing. For citizens, the question is whether participation is worth the effort: will their input actually matter, or will it disappear into bureaucratic processes while predetermined decisions proceed? For governments, the question is how to design consultations that genuinely inform decisions rather than merely legitimize them.