Tackling Short-Termism Through Democratic Deliberation

Abstract

Representative democracies have tendencies towards myopia or short-termism, caused by factors such as electoral cycles and influence by organized interest groups. Processes of democratic deliberation, for example in deliberative mini-publics, could help address the problem of short-termism. Most notably, democratic deliberation entails weighing of factual and moral arguments related to policy choices, which is likely to foster sensitivity to causal consequences of policies and appeals to intra- and intergenerational justice. Moreover, democratic deliberation helps people consider others’ perspectives and overcome their narrow self-interest. However, there are many open questions pertaining to the possible benefits of democratic deliberation. The panel invites papers addressing, for example, the following questions: Can democratic deliberation help consider perspectives of groups who are not present, e.g. future generations? Can democratic deliberation facilitate more sustainable uses of resources across time? Can democratic deliberation be future-sensitive even in situations of acute crisis or deep-rooted social injustices? How can deliberative mini-publics be made more consequential in policy-making?

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