Theory, Evidence, and the Tasks of Deliberation

Abstract

Deliberative democracy now constitutes the most active area of political theory in its entirety (not just democratic theory). There is also widespread interest in making real-world politics more deliberative, be it by introducing novel sorts of institutions, improving existing institutions, or enhancing the quality of public debate. Enthusiasts and critics alike have often made their arguments with no empirical warrants at all; when they do introduce empirical evidence it has often been in the form of casual assertions or stylized facts; and only recently has more careful and systematic evidence been brought to bear.