Inducing lasting changes in climate attitudes and policy support through different deliberative norms?

Citizens' Assemblies and other deliberative mini-publics (DMPs) are increasingly convened to address climate policies. By design, DMPs help citizens to process complex information, to weigh different arguments, and to explore and reflect upon varying interests and values. However, the recommendations produced by DMPs organized on climate policies have shown variation, e.g. in their level of ambition. This could be due to a number of factors, including the norms of the discussion. This study examines the effects that different normative ‘types’ of deliberation may have on deliberators’ climate attitudes and climate policy support, and tracks the longevity of these effects. The analysis relies on data from a population-based and randomized lab-in-the-field experiment organized in Finland in October 2023, where participants deliberated Finland’s climate policy targets. Based on previous literature of deliberative democracy, three normative ‘types’ of deliberation were distinguished: Habermasian deliberation emphasizing the quality of justification, integrative deliberation emphasizing mutual understanding, and inclusive deliberation emphasizing fair consideration of affected interests. In the experiment, participants were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups (N=3x80), each endorsing a different ‘type’ of deliberation. Survey data was collected prior to (T1), right after (T2) and one month after (T3) deliberation. In addition, the study included a control group, where participants took surveys T2 and T3 without deliberation. Comparing changes in climate attitudes and policy support across treatment groups produces new insights of deliberative norms’ effects on climate deliberation. By tracking the endurance of the changes over time, it also contributes to the literature concerning the ‘spillover effects’ of DMPs (van der Does & Jacquet 2023). References: Van der Does, R., & Jacquet, V. (2023). Small-Scale Deliberation and Mass Democracy: A Systematic Review of the Spillover Effects of Deliberative Minipublics. Political Studies, 71(1), 218-237. https://doi.org/10.1177/00323217211007278