Who Wants To Deliberate—And Why?

TLDR

Interest in deliberative democracy has surged, yet scholars question its practical viability, arguing that most people dislike politics and that such initiatives risk paternalistic imposition. The authors surveyed two large national samples on hypothetical willingness to deliberate and on actual participation after a real invitation to discuss with a member of Congress. Willingness to deliberate is widespread, particularly among those less engaged in traditional partisan politics, who see it as a partial alternative to conventional politics.

Abstract

Interest in deliberative theories of democracy has grown tremendously among political theorists, political scientists, activists, and even government officials. Many scholars, however, are skeptical that it is a practically viable theory, even on its own terms. They argue (inter alia) that most people dislike politics and that deliberative initiatives would amount to a paternalistic imposition. Using two large national samples investigating people's hypothetical willingness to deliberate and their actual participation in response to a real invitation to deliberate with their member of Congress, we find that (1) willingness to deliberate in the United States is much more widespread than expected, and (2) it is precisely those people less likely to participate in traditional partisan politics who are most interested in deliberative participation. They are attracted to such participation as a partial alternative to “politics as usual.”