Varieties of "Illiberal” Conception of Deliberative Democracy

In recent years, there have been two conflicting trends regarding liberal democracy. On the one hand we witness the rise of illiberal democracy, which denies or neglects liberal values and institutions in the name of the “people”. On the other hand, there are theoretical and practical attempts to innovate liberal democracy by using various kinds of citizen participation and deliberative mini-publics. In this theoretical and practical contestation over liberal democracy, deliberative democracy seems to be examined as a promising theory that revitalizes liberal democracy. At the very least, deliberative democracy would be in a position to oppose populism. However, this paper attempts to defend deliberate democracy as what is decoupled from liberal democracy. As previously indicated by John S. Dryzek (2010), Hélène Landemore (2017), and Tetsuki Tamura (2017), deliberative democracy is a type of democracy but is not necessarily “liberal” democracy. I think that this way of consideration of deliberative democracy can contribute to flourish deliberative democracy beyond mini-publics. This paper attempts to develop this perspective to understand deliberative democracy as an “illiberal” conception of democracy through focusing on the plurality of the meaning of “liberal” in liberal democracy, and examines varieties of the conception of deliberative democracy beyond liberal democracy; Illiberal but deliberative democracy can be possible. If there are varieties of meaning of liberal democracy, the conception of deliberative democracy beyond it will naturally have varieties. “Liberal” in liberal democracy has at least four meanings; (1) capitalism, (2) competitive political party system and electoral representative institutions, (3) the public-private distinction, and (4) liberal constitutionalism. Therefore, corresponding to these four meanings, there will be at least four varieties of the “illiberal deliberative democracy”. First, supposing liberal democracy as capitalist democracy, the conception of deliberate democracy in the workplace and economy would be considered. Second, non-electoral deliberate democracy can be considered against liberal democracy as the competitive party system and electoral representative system. Third, with respect to liberal democracy as a public-private distinction, deliberative democracy in the private sphere, such as the family, is conceivable. Finally, for liberal democracy as liberal constitutionalism, unconstitutional, more contentious deliberative democracy can be considered.