Intersectional Inclusion in Deliberative Mini-Publics: A Conceptual Framework and Insights from Germany

Deliberative mini-publics, such as citizens’ assemblies, are increasingly implemented worldwide — from local to supranational levels — on various issues. These forums bring together a randomly selected, diverse sample of citizens to deliberate and arrive at considered judgments. However, while inclusion is typically assessed by comparing the composition of mini-publics with the population (maxi-public) along single categories (e.g., gender, age, education), we know little about their intersectional inclusiveness. Although intersectionality has received considerable attention in many social science disciplines, democratic innovations — and particularly deliberative mini-publics — still lack a framework that applies an intersectional lens. In this paper, we introduce a conceptual framework to assess intersectional inclusion in deliberative mini-publics along three dimensions: input, throughput, and output. This framework shifts the focus from single-category to multiple intersecting categories, moving beyond siloed approaches to inclusiveness. We apply this framework in an empirical analysis of three deliberative mini-publics in Germany. By analysing qualitative and quantitative data from in-depth evaluations, we draw insights on the performance of these mini-publics in achieving intersectional inclusion, an aspect by which these procedures must also be judged.