Political Psychology and Democratic Innovations: Friend or Foe?

Abstract

The hopes of advocates of democratic innovations are multifold: better discourse quality, more informed and reflective opinions, higher perceptions of legitimacy, empowerment. Yet, whether and by what mechanisms these goods can be achieved through participation and deliberation is still not fully understood. Political psychology offers theories, methods and empirical evidence to help us understand the processes at play but also challenges many underlying assumptions of normative democratic theories. The questions asked in this panel are: What can psychological perspectives teach us about citizens reasoning and decision-making? By what mechanism can participatory reform tackle democratic problems such as polarization or legitimacy deficits? Most importantly, how can we join forces to get deeper and interdisciplinary insights into democratic innovations?

Title	Details
An Open Mind or a Big Heart: Possible Routes ToReducing Ingroup Bias	View Paper Details
The Effects of Argument Visualization Platforms and Empathy Induction on Emotions in Online News Comments	View Paper Details
This is Not US: How to Measure Affective Polarization in Multiparty Systems	View Paper Details
Democracy Innovated by ICT Support and More Participation: How We Can Connect Citizens and Government Effectively in Digital Times, and Create Trust, and Legitimacy	View Paper Details