The Quality of Deliberation – Theory and Empirical Evidence

Abstract

The implementation of deliberative processes has intensified over the last 10 years, both at the academic and policy-making level. Deliberative processes are seen as a promising instrument to produce ‘desirable’ outcomes in terms of citizens’ empowerment, increased legitimacy and stability of policies. – Deliberation studies have enjoyed considerable advancements, moving from theoretical and normative assumptions to testable hypotheses and their empirical assessment. Still, many aspects have to be deepened and among these are notably some questions concerning the quality of deliberation. What does ‘quality’ mean? How much do deliberative practices really fulfill the conditions laid by the theory? Which factors influence the quality of deliberation and how? This panel aims to bring together scholars aspiring to address these questions. The panel welcomes contributions which offer a better understanding of the concept of quality of deliberation, of the inner dynamics affecting it and of the interactions and reciprocal influence between deliberation and the social and political context.

Title	Details
Deliberation Within and Across Enclaves – Knowledge and Opinion Change in an Experiment	View Paper Details
Optimal Deliberation: Disputation v Discussion	View Paper Details
Opinion Change, Meta-Consensus and Problem Solving: The Desirable Outcomes of Deliberation	View Paper Details
Examining the Quality of Enclave Deliberation	View Paper Details
Deliberation and Net Attitude Change	View Paper Details