Participatory and Deliberative Practices and Their Theoretical and Methodological Implications

Abstract

There are a growing number of studies examining participatory and deliberative practices on all levels of governance; on the local-, the regional-, and the national-level. These contain potentially important knowledge pertaining to both theory and methods. This panel welcomes papers concerning participatory or deliberative practices in conjunction to political processes in the real world. The panel is especially focused on the theoretical or methodological implications from such practices. Do the findings of real-world practices generally support the theoretical notions guiding them, or do they give rise to new theoretical perspectives? Which methodological alterations need to be done when moving from the academic ‘lab’ to real-world settings? What are the central findings concerning process quality in participatory and deliberative practices? How does the connection to actual political processes affect the individual-level outcomes — e.g. opinions, efficacy, political trust, generalized trust — of participation in these practices? How are, or how could, participatory and deliberative practices be used to influence policies and, ultimately, to enhance legitimacy of democratic decision-making?